
Class _Ai36 
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The Book of 
Foot-ball 



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From the portrait by George M. Reevs in the Crescent Athletic Club, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



WALTER CAMP 



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WALTER CAMP'S LIBRARY OF SPORT 

The Book of 
Foot-ball 

BY 

Walter Camp 




New York 

The Century Co. 

1910 



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Copyright, 19 lo, by 
THE CENTURY CO. 



Published, November, 1910 



>GI.A275812 



DEDICATION 

To every back who has bucked the line and 
to every line man who knows what it means to 
drive his charge home, to every one of the 
thousands of American foot-ball players who 
knows the satisfaction of plunging along over 
those white lines that mark the playing field, 
and finally to the thousands more of parents 
and brothers and sisters who have sat fasci- 
nated at the spectacle of the contest and with 
heart in throat pushed and held in spirit 
harder than any player on the huge gridiron 
this book is dedicated. 



CONTENTS 

Page 
Chapter I. Early History 3 

* ' II. Foot-Ball in America 20 

III. The New Foot-Ball 94 

' ' IV. Personality in Foot-Ball 137 

* ' V. General Strategy 184 

** VI. The Field, Costumes and Train- 
ing 227 

** VII. The Development and Play of 

the Different Positions 270 

* * VIII. Kicking, Catching and Passing. . 306 

" IX. The Captain and the Coach 323 

" X. All-Time, All- America Teams. . 343 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Walter Camp Frontispiece 

Page 
Kennedy, Dartmouth, receiving the forward pass, 

Harvard Stadium, 1907 6 

Tablet in the Rugby School Close 11 

Cutler, Harvard, punting to Hobbs' fair catch, 

Yale Field, 1908 15 

A Tackle, Yale Field, 1909 21 

Quarter-back taking the ball 26 

A Harvard- Yale line-up, Yale Field, 1908 28 

Diagram of foot-ball field, showing positions 35 

Walder of Cornell punting, Ithaca, 1907 37 

Early development of the scrimmage — the distinc- 
tive feature of the American game 47 

Quarter-back passing the ball in the old days 51 

A tackle under the old rules 53 

The old Polo Grounds during a match . ^ 55 

Yale running back an Army punt. Coy being 

tackled, West Point, 1908 58 

Princeton 's attack in the late 90 's 68 

Facsimile of Mr. Camp's draft of the first set of 

signals 70 

The foot-ball team starting for the Polo Grounds in 

the old days 73 

Coy, Yale, running back a punt, West Point, 1908 . . 77 
A West Point run around Princeton's right end. 

West Point, 1908 84 

Dartmouth making a 20-yard gain around Prince- 
ton's left end. Polo Grounds, 1908 90 

Columbia vs. Syracuse at the Old South Field 99 

vii 



DeLand 's flying interference as used by Harvard . . 102 
Woodruff's flying interference as used by Penn- 
sylvania 103 

Yost 's forward pass as used by Michigan 104 

A play in a Harvard- Yale game 105 

Veeder, Yale, making the forward pass, Yale Field, 

1906 112 

Princeton's early development of the on-side kick. . 121 

An Army-Navy kick-off, Franklin Field, 1908 128 

J. N. Sears, Harvard ; Lee McClung, Yale ; ' ' Hand- 
some Dan, ' ' a Yale mascot 134 

Arthur Poe, Princeton; Truxton Hare, Pennsyl- 
vania ; John DeWitt, Princeton 143 

Captain Daly, Yale ; Tobin, Dartmouth 149 

Martin Heston, Michigan; Frank A. Hinkey, Yale; 

Adolph Schultz, Michigan 156 

Hamilton Fish, Jr., Harvard ; Walter H. Eckersall, 

Chicago ; Harold H. Weekes, Columbia 165 

Bull, Yale 's famous drop kicker 172 

Kennard, Harvard, kicking the goal that won the 

game 178 

"Tackle-back" play in its first steps, as illustrated 

by an incident in a Yale-Princeton game 187 

Edward H. Coy, Yale; Thomas L. Sherlin, Yale; 

Walter W. Heffelfinger, Yale 193 

West Point, punting. West Point, 1908 200 

Minnesota vs. Iowa, Minnesota making a touch- 
down, 1905 209 

Princeton running around Yale's right end, Yale 

Field, 1909 216 

Ver Wiebe, Harvard's full-back, running with the 

ball, Yale Field, 1908 222 

Williams vs. Amherst at Williamstown 231 

Illinois forwards breaking through on an Indiana 

kick, 1909 237 



Vlll 



A plunge by Ohio through Michigan 's line, 1909 244 

A Yale-Princeton game at Princeton 253 

An end run 260 

Yale and Princeton 's teams running through signals 

before the game, Yale Field, 1909 266 

Yale style of attack in 1898, Princeton, 1898 275 

Borglum's group of foot-ball players 281 

McCormick, Princeton, punting, Yale Field, 1909 . . 288 
Straight drive on tackle— a strong Kansas play, 

1909 297 

Pennsylvania vs. Carlisle. Carlisle's quarter-back 

passing to a back, Franklin Field, 1906 304 

"Waller kicking Princeton's only goal. Polo Grounds 310 
Professor Alonzo A. Stagg, coach of the University 
of Chicago; William Edwards, Princeton; 
Fielding H. Yost, Michigan; "William Roper, 

Princeton 319 

George Woodruff, Pennsylvania; Howard Jones, 
Yale ; Glen S. Warner, Athletic Director of the 

Carlisle Indian School 325 

Percy D. Haughton, Harvard; William Reid, 
Harvard ; Lorin F. Deland, Harvard ; G. Foster 

Sanf ord, of Yale, who coached Columbia 331 

Caricature, by Howard Freeman^ of two devotees of 
college sports ; Evert Jansen Wendell and Wal- 
ter Camp 336 

The All-Time, All- America eleven as chosen by Mr. 

Camp 342 

A punt by Mt. Pleasant, Carlisle's famous quarter- 
back. Harvard Stadium, 1907 354 

Lafayette vs. Lehigh 359 



INTRODUCTION TO WALTER CAMP'S 
LIBRARY OF SPORTS 

" Who misses or who wins the prize, 
Go lose or conquer as you can; 
But if you fail or if you rise 
Be each, pray God, a gentleman! " 

Before taking up the direct plan of this book I 
should like to seize upon the opportunity when, my 
dear sirs, I find you all together and in such good 
spirits that you will bear with a player and 
preacher for sermonizing a little. I will not bore 
you long, but to each of you I have a word to say 
— to you, my boy, just home from school for the 
short holidays ; to you, young man, whose college 
years are hastening by; to you, paterfamilias, 
who, relieved for a day of business or professional 
cares, can spare a moment to look back upon your 
own school and college days, over which the lapse 
of years has thrown a glamour that, hiding some 
of the hard realities, still lends a halo of romance 
to the incidents. 

There is the Rev. Dr. Sixthly, who on every 
seventh day spreads out before you, in choicest 

xi 



INTEODUCTION 

rhetoric, the tenets and doctrines of the church; 
there is the learned Professor Syntax, who looks 
after your construing; there is the new Professor 
Dumbell, who drags you willy-nilly through a com- 
plex system of chest-measurement and pulley- 
prescriptions ; and there is Dr. Birch himself, who 
switches you well for whittling the desk. I shall 
not trespass upon the field of any of these worthy 
developers of the young idea. The field I enter 
with you, my boy, is the playground, where you go 
out to meet your school rivals; I want you, col- 
legian, when you are after championships ; I want 
you, sir, when you are talking with your boy about 
his sports. 

" Be each, pray God, a gentleman! " It is an 
easy word, and a pleasant one. I don't doubt but 
that you all pronounce it trippingly enough, and 
have each one his own high ideal of what a gentle- 
man should be. Do you live up to it ? Or are you 
letting it come down a little here and there; so 
little, perhaps, that you hardly notice it until you 
make comparison? A gentleman against a gentle- 
man always plays to win. There is a tacit agree- 
ment between them that each shall do his best, and 
the best man shall win. A gentleman does not 
make his living, however, from his athletic prow- 
ess. He does not earn anything by his victories 
except glory and satisfaction. Perhaps the first 

xii 



INTRODUCTION 

falling off in this respect began when the laurel 
wreath became a mng. So long as the mug was 
but the emblem, and valueless otherwise, there 
was no harm. There is still no harm where the 
mug or trophy hangs in the room of the winner 
as indicative of his skill; but if the silver mug 
becomes a silver dollar, either at the hands of the 
winner or the donor, let us have the laurel back 
again. 

A gentleman never competes for money, directly 
or indirectly. Make no mistake about this. No 
matter how winding the road may be that eventu- 
ally brings the sovereign into the pocket, it is the 
price of what should be dearer to you than any- 
thing else, — your honor. It is quite the fashion 
to say ^' sentimental bosh " to any one who 
preaches such an old-fashioned thing as honor; 
but among true gentlemen, my boy, it is just as 
real an article as ever, and it is one of the 
few things that never ring false. The man who 
tells you that insufferable rot about being practi- 
cal and discarding sentiment, is not the man 
you would choose as a friend. He wouldn't stand 
by you in a pinch, and when we come to the reality, 
it is only the man who believes in such a thing as 
honor that is worth anything. So stick to it, my 
boy, and keep it bright. Carry it down into the 
small affairs of school and college. 

xiii 



INTEODUCTION 

If you are enough of a man to be a good athlete, 
and some one asks you to use that athletic ability 
upon their behalf, don't take money for it, or any- 
thing that amounts to pay. If you are on the 
school team or nine and go into training, don't 
break faith with your captain, yourself, and your 
fellows by surreptitious indulgences. This doesn't 
mean that if you see some other fellow smoke on 
the sly you are obliged to tell of it, nor does it 
mean that you must call him to account, unless you 
are the captain. If his standard is not so high as 
yours, that is his misfortune. If he asks your 
opinion, give it to him, if you like, but not in such 
a way as to leave the imp-nession that you are put 
out by your own longing for a similar indulgence. 
If you are the captain and you find a man breaking 
training in spite of your orders, and you consider 
it advisable to put him off, don't be afraid to do it. 
Gentlemen are not cowards, mentally or physic- 
ally. 

If a man comes to you and endeavors to affect 
your choice of a college by offers of a pecuniary 
nature, he does not take you for a gentleman or a 
gentleman's son, you may be sure. Gentlemen 
neither offer nor take bribes. 

Now, my young college friend, it is your turn. 
Eemember it is upon you that the eyes of the pre- 
paratory school-boy are fixed, it is toward you that 

xiv 



INTRODUCTION 

the younger brother looks for example, and what- 
ever you do in your four years' course, you will 
see magnified by the boys who come after you. 
Support your class and your college in every way 
compatible with your position. Gentlemen are not 
stingy, nor are they selfish. Play if you can and 
your class or college needs you. Pay if you can 
afford it, but do not allow a false pride to lead you 
into subscriptions beyond your means. Don't be 
ashamed of enthusiasm. A man without it is a 
man without a purpose. 

I remember a little incident of my own college 
course. I was a freshman, and knew almost no one 
in college except a certain junior. I had entered 
in two events in the fall athletic games, one a 
quarter mile, the other a hurdle race. I had run 
the quarter and been beaten, although I finished 
second. My opponents had all been upper class- 
men, and received no little encouragement from 
their friends. I felt very lonely and disgusted 
with myself and life in general when I got on the 
mark for the hurdle. I had but two competitors, 
and both had been cheered when they came to the 
scratch. Suddenly as we were getting on our 
marks I heard a voice half-way down the course 
call out, " You can do 'em," and I saw my junior 
friend waving his hat to me. It was not a classical 
remark, but it made me feel better. I was clumsy 

XV 



INTRODUCTION 

in getting off, and wlien we came to the sixth 
hurdle was nearly five yards behind the other two, 
but from that time on I could hear my friend roar- 
ing out, ''Go in!" "You've got 'em yetl " 
" Now you're over," as I went up each flight. I 
did finish first, and I had hardly touched the tape 
before he was patting me on the back. I don't sup- 
pose it cost him much to yell for a poor freshman, 
but I know that I always thought of him as one of 
the best fellows I ever knew, and in after years I 
have remembered enough of the feeling that was 
in my heart toward him to go out and try to make 
some others feel that even a freshman has friends. 
Apropos of this, a word to- non-contestants. In 
a boat-race or a foot-ball match the chances are 
that your own men will not hear your cheer, but 
the men who may try for the team or crew the next 
season do, and they are encouraged to better ef- 
forts by it. Now about, the treatment of your 
rivals. A gentleman is courteous. It is not 
courtesy upon a ball-field to cheer an error of the 
opponents. If it is upon your own grounds, it is 
the worst kind of boorishness. The same is equally • 
true of any attempt to rattle your opponents by 
concerted cheering or talking. Moreover, if there 
are remarkable plays made by your rivals you 
yourselves should cheer ; conceal any chagrin you 
may feel at the loss it may be to your side, but be 

xvi 



INTEODUCTION 

courteous to appreciate and applaud an excep- 
tional play by the opponents. 

After winning a race or a matcli, there is no 
reason why a good, healthy lot of young men 
should not do plenty of cheering, but there is every 
reason why they should not make their enjoyment 
depend upon insulting those who have lost. You 
can not take your hilarity off into a corner and 
choke it to death, and no one wants you to; but 
gratuitous jibes and jeers at the crestfallen mark 
you as a man who does not know how to bear 
a victory, a man whose pate is addled by the 
excitement or whose bringing up has been at 
fault. 

Finally, to non-contestants, I want to say a word 
regarding " celebrating." Primarily, do not, I 
beg of you, do anything because it looks smart. 
Enjoy yourselves, but do not try to " show off." 
Don't be '' tough." A little unusual hilarity, a 
tendency to believe that everything is expressly 
for the collegian, may be upon these occasions 
overlooked and forgiven, but be ready to appreci- 
ate the point beyond which it is carried too far; 
be ready to apologize quickly and instantly where 
offense is taken. Show that behind the jolly fun 
there is the instinct and cultivation of a gentle- 
man's son, and that the ebullition of enthusiasm, 
although it may be a bore to those who fail to 

xvii 



INTRODUCTION 

kindle at it, has nothing of the vicious element, 
and is thoroughly innocent of intentional offense 
to any one. Tf you find you are losing your head, 
go home ; you will not be sorry for it. 

Now for the contestants. I wish I could impress 
indelibly upon your minds the fact that with you 
rests the most enduring standard for amateur 
sports. With no disrespect to any class or con- 
dition — with the best regard for all strong legis- 
lation in outside athletic bodies — I say that the 
collegian's standard of purity in his sports should 
be the highest. The very fact of having the 
leisure to devote four years to a higher education, 
should be taken to involve the duty of acquiring a 
keener perception of right and wrong in matters 
where right and wrong depend upon a delicacy of 
honor. Gentlemen do not cheat, nor do they de- 
ceive themselves as to what cheating is. If you 
are elected the captain of a nine, team, or crew, 
read over your rules, and note exactly who are al- 
lowed as contestants by those rules, not by the 
custom of some predecessor, not by what you think 
some rival will do, but by the rules themselves. 
Having done that, never let a thought enter your 
head of making use of any man not clearly and 
cleanly eligible. You will save yourself many a 
future worry if you start fairly by looking into 
the record of every candidate at the outset. It is 

xviii 



INTEODUCTION 

your duty to know that every one of your men is 
straight and square. I know what I am talking 
about when I say that a college captain can, in 
ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, become pos- 
sessed of the exact truth regarding any man he 
thinks of trying. Don't investigate to see how 
much your opponent could prove, but investigate 
for your own satisfaction. In legislating, remem- 
ber that what a gentleman wants is fair play and 
the best man to win. When it is possible, without 
losing sight of this, to legislate for improvements 
in method, so much the better ; but primarily make 
every rule such that the probability of unfinished, 
drawn, or disputed contests is reduced to a 
minimum. 

What if, at the time, your side may be the 
weaker? Don't be a coward on that account. Face 
it like a man, and say with your whole heart that 
you are on the side of the men who want no chance 
of retreat or escape, only a fair contest and certain 
victory or defeat at the end of it. To what do all 
the technicalities amount when compared with the 
sincerity of men who come together to effect that 
result ? When the delegates earnestly desire rules 
that shall insure such a contest and such an issue, 
their work is more than half done. Don't take the 
coward's part and try to legislate means of avoid- 
ing the issue. 

xix 



INTRODUCTION 

Perhaps if you, sir, the father of these boys, 
have had patience to listen thus far to me, you will 
allow me to put in a word for the love they bear 
these sports and the pride they take in their school 
and college. Talk with them about these interests. 
You will lose no dignity by it, and you will gain a 
confidence from them worth having. When you 
see anything in their speech or conduct that be- 
tokens a lowering of the high ideal of gentleman- 
liness, don't hesitate to say so. You don't want 
your boy " hired " by any one. If he plays, he 
plays as a gentleman, and not as a professional; 
he plays for victory, not for money ; and whatever 
bruises he may have in the flesh, his heart is right, 
and he can look you in the eye as a gentleman 
should. 

"Be each, pray God, a gentleman! " 

WALTER CAMP. 



XX 



THE BOOK OF 
FOOT-BALL 



THE BOOK OF 

FOOT-BALL 



CHAPTER I 
EARLY HISTORY 

IT SO happened one fall that I had promised to 
postpone my summer vacation and take it 
at a place quite near to the home of two large foot- 
ball colleges, so that I might coach one of these 
teams for a few weeks previous to their champion- 
ship game. These two universities were so situ- 
ated that practice games with other university 
teams were out of the question, and each depended 
for this kind of preparation upon contests with 
a prominent Athletic Club eleven. I had a friend 
with me and on the day of our arrival we went 
out to see a game between the University team 
that I was to take in hand and this Athletic Club. 
The previous week the same Athletic Club team 
had played our principal rivals, and after a very 
exciting game the score had ended in a tie. Natu- 
rally my friend who was with me and I were very 
much interested in seeing what our future pupils 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

would do under the same conditions. We went 
out to tlie game and saw the Athletic Club team 
defeat our organization not less than 18 to 4, and 
their superiority was even more marked than this 
score would indicate. My friend remarked, ' ' Will 
any amount of coaching make this team a win- 
ner ? It looks like a losing proposition and I doubt 
if any one can cause them to make a satisfactory 
showing. ' ' Here, however, was a chance that had 
never come to me with the organizations which I 
had coached. These other teams meet each other 
but once in a season, and the next season the per- 
sonnel is so changed by the alteration of players 
that no fair comparison showing just what the 
coaching does can be expected. I was therefore 
more than pleased with the opportunity, for the 
team I had undertaken to coach was to play two 
more games with this same Athletic team on the 
two following Saturdays. Here, then, was a fair 
and square issue. I must confess that I was by no 
means sanguine, but I did feel that if there were 
anything in the theories I had formed of the game 
it ought to be possible to reverse that 18 to 4 score 
on the occasion of the third Saturday. I had the 
team and the coaches together the day after this 
defeat, and explained to them at considerable 
length what I should expect them to do and how 
carefully I wished them to follow instructions. 

4 




? H 






EAELY HISTORY 

As they did not seem over and above hopeful, 
something was necessary to stir their spirits and 
I therefore told them that I believed confidently 
that if they would follow my instructions I could 
reverse that score in the two weeks that we had 
for practice. That night I talked with the captain 
of the team who was playing center and who, as 
the game was played in that day, was too light in 
weight to fill the place satisfactorily. I told him 
that I thought it would be necessary for him to 
look around among his candidates for a heavier 
center. '^ But," he said almost pathetically, 
" that is the only place I can fill and I am cap- 
tain." I explained to him that I was quite sure 
I could find another place for him on the team, 
but even if that did not develop it was necessary 
for him, in the interest of his organization, to 
stand the discomfiture of being removed from the 
team rather than to have his team lose with him 
on it, and he was finally persuaded to acquiesce 
providing we could find anybody else for the place. 
The next day as I was walking on the campus, I 
passed a well built person who mUst have weighed 
over 200 pounds. I asked a bystander who he was, 
and he gave me his name. I asked if he had ever 
played foot-ball, and he said, " Oh, yes. He came 
out with a team last year but he proved perfectly 
useless." " What was the trouble? " I asked. 

7 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

"Oh! He simply could not ' get the hang ' of the 
game." This seemed rather indefinite, and I de- 
termined to interview the man myself. But first 
I went to the captain and asked him about this 
man. He knew him, but said, as my former in- 
former had done, that he had failed ignomini- 
ously, and he did not believe it was any use to 
try him again. I thought differently and asked 
the captain if he would not take me around and 
introduce me. He was perfectly willing to do this. 
When I broached the subject of foot-ball, my 
promising center said, *' It is no use trying me, 
for I can't do a thing at the game." " "Well," I 
said, " are you willing to come out and try? " 
He replied that he would be perfectly willing to 
give an hour or two a day to it and make another 
effort, but he did not believe that it would help 
out at all. The next day I had him out on the 
field, and at the end of the week he was playing 
the position regularly and to the entire satisfac- 
tion of the captain and the rest of the team. But 
he had received a new light, for as he told me 
afterwards he had gone in formerly on the belief 
that it was merely strength and brute force, and 
now he had satisfied himself that it was a question 
of learning how, and the use of brains every in- 
stant. On the following Saturday we met our 
Athletic team once more and they defeated us by 

8 



EAELY HISTORY 

a score of 12 to 6. The following week I had our 
captain playing tackle and putting up a good 
game there. I had made two or three shifts in 
the line, but had practically the same men I had 
seen play upon the occasion of my arrival. In- 
steady however, of working as individuals they 
were now already showing very marked indica- 
tions to an experienced foot-ball eye of coming 
team play, and I was quite satisfied that another 
week would find them a big surprise to their Ath- 
letic Club rivals. We worked steadily that week, 
although spending no more time than the previous 
week, and by Thursday night I was satisfied with 
the development. I had given them two or three 
new plays, more to keep their interest up than 
anything else, and it had had the desired result, 
for they were on tiptoe with expectation and an- 
ticipation of trying these plays. On Saturday the 
Athletic Club team appeared and naturally after 
their two defeats of our University team were 
more than confident of their ability to add a third 
victory to their record. That was at two o'clock 
in the afternoon. At five o'clock a no more as- 
tonished body of men could be found, for the Uni- 
versity team had defeated them no less than 20 
to and had held them almost powerless from 
start to finish. It is needless to say that the next 
week we went on and defeated the rival university 

9 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

team who had played the tie game with the Ath- 
letic Club team the week before my arrival. This 
instance I cite as a preface with an apology. 
There was no particular credit in my own work, 
as I believe any coach who had had a thorough 
drill could have undoubtedly accomplished a sim- 
ilar result. But it is very enlightening as indi- 
cating the part that brains take in the develop- 
ment of foot-ball teams. These men had learned 
to work together and with mutual understanding. 
It is not a game of brute force, or speed, or any- 
thing of that kind. It is a problem to be solved 
by the means of eleven men working together 
along lines for which that particular team is best 
adapted, and it is this side of the sport that of- 
fers such powerful fascination to all that become 
interested in it. 

When " Ted " Coy, the All- American foot-ball 
back of 1909, sat with Fred Daly, the captain of 
the Yale team of 1910, and talked over with the 
writer the prospects and possibilities of the Re- 
vised Eules, it became evident that those who had 
the making of the rules had succeeded at least in 
getting into deep water, yet at the same time em- 
phasizing all the more strongly the infinite variety 
of tactics and strategy on the part of coaches, the 
team, and individuals that this sport has always 
tended to bring out, 

XO 



EAJRLY HISTORY 

Rugby erected a tablet to Webb Ellis, who first 
recklessly seized the ball and ran with it contrary 
to rules and custom, but there was another man 
in history, it may be believed, several thousand 
years ago, who received the honor of the statue. 
His name was Aristonico Caristo. This statue 






'■;TlRiT,460K THE BAIL 01 BJJ ASMS m6 flW-flinj TTrli^ ^.y. 



TABLET IN THE RUGBY SCHOOL CLOSE. 



was erected by his fellow Athenian citizens for his 
surpassing ability in the game called Pheninda. 
The Lacedaemonians played at this sport, and 
later it was called Episcyrus and finally chris- 
tened by the Romans Harpastum. An excellent 
account of the game appears as early as 177 a. d. 
in a book by a Greek named Julius Pollux, dedi- 
cated to the Emperor Commodus. The Romans 
in their colonization always took with them their 
amusements, and so in settling Florence they 
planted there the game of Harpastum. Here the 

11 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

game especially seemed to thrive, the Florentines 
giving it the new name Calcio, and until the early- 
part of the 18th century it was played constantly 
during the winter, especially in Carnival time. 
In 1898 a grand festival in honor of the 400th 
Anniversary of several important historical 
events in Florence was held and the game of Cal- 
cio was revived after one hundred and sixty years 
of quiescence. The game was played with twenty- 
seven players divided into fifteen runners placed 
in front, and these fifteen subdivided into three 
equal groups; then the five front men, as they 
were called, who endeavored to impede the oppos- 
ing runners, four half-backs and three backs. It 
is said that there was expended on the revival of 
this game $6,000. 

The Eomans passed the game of foot-ball on to 
the Britons where we find it mentioned as early 
as 1175 with frequent references to it in the next 
two hundred years. 

But here again comes in the point of tactics 
and strategy, and how these appeal in any form 
of sport to the human race. A game of personal 
physical contact was demanded by the sturdy 
Britons. They wanted a game of courage, 
strength and fair play, but what they did not 
know was that they demanded a game of skill and 
tactics as well, and when such a game was fux- 

12 



EAELY HISTOEY 

nisiied it ate its way into all their sports. It over- 
whelmed archery, which was then the popular 
form of diversion. The rulers issued kingly 
edicts forbidding it on this very account, but this 
made little difference to the yeomanry, who went 
on with their game just the same. In 1314 King 
Edward II issued a proclamation against its 
further playing in the city of London. The Mer- 
chant Guilds applied for its suppression as a nui- 
sance. An extract from the document reads as 
follows, " Forasmuch as there is great noise in 
the city, caused by hustling over large balls from 
which many evils might arise which God forbid, 
we command and forbid on behalf of the King 
such game to be used in the city in the future." 
King Henry VI in 1457 issued a decree that 
" football and golfe be utterly cryed down and 
not to be used." King Henry VII in 1491 fol- 
lowed up with this edict : ' ' In no place of this 
realme ther be used futeball, gelfe or other sik 
unprofitable sportes." For all this, in the time 
of Queen Elizabeth foot-ball was played in the 
city streets, on the commons and even in the coun- 
try lanes, with goals a mile apart perhaps, and 
Shrove Tuesday became the great foot-ball day 
when the whole populace went mad over the sport. 
Until 1583 Stubbes held it up as a '' bloody and 
murthering " practice. Then it began to take on 

13 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

better form and more science, and as early as 
1800 was adopted by tlie English schools and uni- 
versities as quite the leading sport. Something 
over fifty years later an Association was formed 
and some of the different games were harmonized. 
In 1871 the Rugby Union was formed and definite 
rules were enacted. From that time on Rugby, 
the game of carrying the ball, tackling, and the 
like has progressed on its course, while the Asso- 
ciation game with its kicking, dribbling and no 
tackling has kept its separate field. In the Amer- 
ican universities there was little that could be de- 
fined by the name of foot-ball until the early 70 's. 
Then there was a game played unlike anything 
that prevailed in other countries, but which had 
something of the characteristics of the Associa- 
tion game. But about this time Harvard, having 
visited Canada, had become inoculated with the 
game of Rugby, which was then being played by 
the Canadians, and they introduced it into the 
States in 1875. In this year the first game of this 
character took place between Harvard and Yale, 
but it was played under a compromise set of rules 
made up by representatives of the two universities 
intended to harmonize the Association and Rugby 
games, an event that even the venturesome Amer- 
ican was hardly capable of accomplishing. The 
next year, Harvard and Yale adopted the Rugby 

14 



Nf- 



M > 

w > 
P a 




EAELY HISTOEY 

rules entire as they stood, and from that time on, 
the game has gone on increasing in popularity. 

It seems, indeed, a curious thing that this sport 
which has always had such opposition, which is 
violent and does tend to accident unavoidable, 
should maintain its remarkable popularity. If 
the game stands the very severe test to which it 
will be put in the season of 1910, then the mys- 
tery will be deeper than ever, for players of the 
game in the United States for the last ten or a 
dozen years have suffered many changes to be 
made in their sport, and have cheerfully taken up 
new manuals caused by these changes until some 
three years ago it seemed as if the reasonable 
limit had been reached; that if the rules were 
made any more complicated the spectators would 
desert the grandstands and the players, rather 
than spend so much time and study of rules, 
would, themselves, desert the gridiron. But the 
year 1910 finds even a still more complicated 
code. Yet officials, coaches and players seem will- 
ing to meet it in the spirit of self-sacrifice and to 
make the most of it. It would seem that a return 
to simplicity would be welcomed on all sides, and 
possibly the pendulum will swing in that direction 
another year. But whatever the vagaries of 
rules, there seems to be implanted deep in the 
heart of the boy and man a desire that in his 

17 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

youthful days leads him to indulge in this partic- 
ular form of sport, and in his older days to travel 
far, to put up with great inconvenience, and great 
expense, for the mere pleasure of one single hour 
of that concentrated delirium which apparently 
always seizes upon the otherwise sane individual 
when witnessing a contest of this kind. 

In this brief summary of the development of 
the sport, we should take more than passing cog- 
nizance of the fact that there are a great many 
varieties of the game developed from the Eugby 
stem. "Wherever the British colonies have gone 
they have introduced Eugby, but the game has 
almost invariably taken on new features on for- 
eign soil. To-day Australia has more than one 
variety developed from the Eugby game, and so 
has Canada as well as the United States. Out on 
the Pacific Coast the two universities, Stanford 
and California, are playing a modern Eugby 
which differs quite a little from the Eugby 
adopted by Yale and Harvard in the year of 
1876 ; while the present game generally known as 
Intercollegiate Foot-ball, with the various pru- 
nings and graftings of the last thirty years, bears 
very little resemblance to the game that was pro- 
duced soon after the adoption of Eugby in this 
country. But when all is said and done, no form 
of the sport has compared with the American In- 

18 



EAELY HISTORY 

tercollegiate of the last twenty-five years in de- 
velopment of team work, strategy and tactics, and 
it is on this account that the game has acquired a 
remarkable following in the United States., 



19 



CHAPTER II 
FOOT-BALL IN AMERICA 

THE rules governing American foot-ball are 
an outgrowth or development of the English 
Rugby foot-ball game, the very name of which at 
once recalls to every reader the well-beloved 
'' Tom Brown." 

The credit of introducing these rules among our 
colleges belongs really to Harvard, who had 
learned them from the Canadians and were at the 
outset won by the superior opportunities offered 
by the new game for strategy and generalship as 
well as for clever individual playing. After 
Harvard had played for a year or two with our 
northern neighbors, Yale was persuaded to adopt 
these English rules, and in 1876 the first match 
between two American college teams under the 
Rugby Union rules was played. Since that time 
the code has undergone many changes, the greater 
number being made necessary by the absolute 
lack of any existing foot-ball lore or tradition on 
American soil. The English game was one of tra- 
ditions. " What has been done can be done ; what 
has not been done must be illegal,'* answered any 

20 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

[uestion wMcli was npt fully foreseen in their 
aws of the game. 

For the first few years our college players spent 
heir time at conventions in adding rules to settle 
trexed problems continually arising, to which the 
English rules offered no solution. In this way 
;he rules rapidly multiplied until the number was 
juite double that of the original code. Then fol- 
lowed the process of excision, and many of the old 
JEnglish rules which had become useless were 
[dropped. Until the last few years the foot-ball 
I lawmakers changed but two or three rules a year. 
The method of making alterations has also been 
perfected. 

In order to avoid the petty dissensions incident 
to contests so recent that the wounds of defeat 
were yet tender, a Rules Committee of graduates 
was appointed, and all alteration of rules placed 
in their hands. They met once a year to propose 
any changes that appeared to them necessary. 
An Advisory Committee preceded this body, but 
with the dissolution of the Intercollegiate Foot- 
Ball Association the Advisory Committee disap- 
peared. But the break in foot-ball legislation did 
not last. This Rules Committee was called into 
being by the University Athletic Club of New 
York, at the request of several of the colleges. It 
was composed of non-partizan members who had 

23 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL \ 

carefully watched the sport and endeavored to 
foster its best features while legislating against 
any objectionable tendencies. The rules promul- 
gated by this body were for years the standard 
for all the college games in this country. 

No change, then, was possible unless suggested 
by a body of men, not immediate participants in 
the sport, who had the benefit of past experience. 
This most excellent state of affairs was the result 
of suggestions emanating from an informal con- 1 
ference held some years ago in New York, at 
which were present members of the faculties of 
Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. These gentlemen 
were at that time carefully watching the growth 
of the sport, and were prepared to kill or encour- 
age it according to its deserts. In 1894 the Uni- 
versity Athletic Club of New York proposed cer- 
tain changes, which were approved by the Advi- 
sory Committee, and were generally adopted 
throughout the country. 

When the University Athletic Club passed out 
of existence its rule-making body still continued 
to draft each year a set of rules which the colleges 
were privileged to adopt or not as they saw fit. 
This worked' well for several years but after a 
time a new association, the intercollegiate, ap- 
pointed a rules committee of seven members who 
have upon invitation from the old University Ath- 

24 



FOOT -BALL IN AMEEICA 

4etic Club committee annually amalgamated with 
itiie older body and the fourteen members of the 
joint committee draft the rules. 
X '' How does the English game differ from the 
^American? " is a very common question, and in 
-answering it one should first state that there are 
^two games in England — one ' ' the Rugby, ' ^ and 
,the other " the Association." These differ radi- 
cally, the Association being more like the old- 
fashioned sport that existed in this country pre- 
vious to the introduction of the Eugby. In the 
Association game the players may not run with 
the ball in their hands or arms, but move it rap- 
idly along the ground with their feet — ' ' dribble 
the ball," as their expression has it. Of course, 
then, a comparison between our game and the 
Association is out of the question. To the Eugby 
Union, however, our game still bears some resem- 
blance, the vital point of difference being the out- 
let to the '^ scrimmage " or '' down." In the 
English game, when the ball is held and put down 
for what they call a '' scrttmmage," both sides 
gather about in a mass, and each endeavors by 
kicking the ball to drive it in the direction of the 
opponent's goal. Naturally, there is a deal of 
pushing and hacking and some clever work with 
the feet, but the exact exit of the ball from the 
** scrummage " cannot be predicted or antici- 

25 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

pated. When it does roll out, the man who ij 
nearest endeavors to get it and make a rim or 
kick. The American scrimmage, while coming 
directly from the English play, bears now no sim- 
ilarity to it. Instead of an indiscriminate kicking' 




QUARTBB-BACK TAKING THE BALL. 



This shows the first stages of this play. Note the center snapping 
the ball back with his foot and the high play of the linemen. 

struggle we have the snap-back and quarter-back 
play. The snap-back snaps the ball back with his 
hands ; the quarter seizes it and passes it to any 
man for whom the ball is destined in the plan of 
the play or he may himself run with it. In other 
respects, with the exception of greater liberties 
in assisting a runner, that is, off-side interference, 
it would not be an impossible task to harmonize 
our game with the British. 

There are two general divisions of players — 
the ' * rushers " or * ' forwards, ' ' so called because 
they constitute the front rank of the foot-ball 
army ; and the backs, called the quarter-back, the 
half-backs or halves, and the full-back. The quar- 

26 




Jo c 



; FOOT -BALL IN AMEEICA 

t4,r has been already described. The halves, of 
W|liom there are two, play several yards behind 
tlie rushers, and do the kicking or running work. 
The full-back is really only a third half-back, his 
work being almost the same as that of the halves. 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE NAMES OF THE VAKIOUS POSI- 
TIONS 

"When the sport of foot-ball was first introduced 
into our American colleges the players were 
called, according to their position, forwards, half- 
backs, and goal-tends. The forwards were also 
sometimes spoken of as rushers, and the goal- 
tends as backs. These latter names, apparently, 
were more suited to the tastes of the players, so 
they have become more usual, and the terms for- 
ward and goal-tend are seldom used. Beyond 
these general divisions there were neither dis- 
tinctive names nor, in the early days, distinctive 
duties. One of the first rushers to receive a spe- 
cial name was the one who put down the ball in 
a scrimmage. Originally the man who happened 
to have the ball when the down was made, himself 
placed it on the ground. It soon became evident 
that certain men were unable to perform this duty 
so well as others, and it was not long before the 
duty was delegated to one man. As he usually 
stood in the middle, he was called the center- 

29 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

rusher. TMs name then gave place almost en- 
tirely to " snap-back," owing to the universal 
custom of playing the scrimmage by snapping the 
ball back with the hands. Later still the term 
center became popular once more. 

As the game, after starting with eleven play- 
ers, was then altered to fifteen, there was an open- 
ing made by these increased numbers for more 
positions. It was in the first days of fifteen men 
that the quarter-back play and position first ac- 
quired proper form. There was not only a quar- 
ter-back, but also a three-quarter-back — that is, 
a player who stood between the half-backs and the 
backs. With the return to eleven men the three- 
quarter-back disappeared, but the quarter-back, 
or man who first received the ball from the scrim- 
mage, still remained. 

The next position to assume prominence and a 
name was that of end-rusher. The two men who 
played on the ends of the forward line found un- 
usual opportunities for the exercise of ingenuity 
in the sport, and their duties were more manifold 
than those of any of the other rushers. They 
found opportunities to make runs, opportunities 
to drop back a little and make fair catches of short 
kicks (for it was then quite in vogue to make a 
short kick at kick-off), opportunities of running 
along with a half-back and receiving the ball from 

30 



FOOT -BALL IN AMEEICA 

him when he was likely to be stopped; in fact, to 
perform the duties of the position required so 
many qualities that the best all-round men were 
selected for the work, and it became quite a 
feather in a man's cap to be an end-rusher. After 
this there were but four men on the team who 
were not specifically classed and designated. 
These were the two next the ends and the two 
next the center. The latter took up the name of 
" guards," as they protected the quarter when 
the ball was snapped. The former were called 
^' tackles," probably because, before the tricks 
in running were so highly developed as at pres- 
ent, a large share of the tackling did fall to them. 
This division of players is now universal, and 
each position has duties and responsibilities pe- 
culiar to itself. 

CHANGES FROM THE ENGLISH RUGBY 

The changes the game has undergone in its 
gradual development from the English Eugby are 
peculiarly interesting, showing as they do the in- 
ventive faculty of our college players. The way 
in which the quarter-back play was suggested and 
perfected illustrates this very strongly. Our 
players began exactly as the Englishmen, by put- 
ting the ball on the ground, closing around it, and 
then kicking until it rolled out somewhere. In the 

31 



\ 

THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

first season of this style of scrimmage play, tliey 
made tlie discovery that, far from being an ad- 
vantage to kick the ball through, it often resulted 
in a great disadvantage, for it gave the opponents 
a chance to secure the ball and make a run. The 
players, therefore, would station a man a short 
distance behind the scrimmage, and the rushers 
in front would manage so cleverly to assist the 
kicking of the opponents as to let the ball come 
through and back directly to this player, who had 
then an opportunity to run around the mass of 
men before they realized that the ball had es- 
caped. 

Soon an adventurous spirit discovered that he 
could so place his foot upon the ball that by press- 
ing suddenly downward and backward with his 
toe he would drag or snap the ball to the man 
behind him. At first, naturally, the snap-back 
was not sufficiently proficient to be always sure 
in his aim, but it did not take long to make the play 
a very accurate one, and in the games to-day, now 
that the hand is used instead of the foot, and the 
center or snap-back has undisturbed possession 
of the ball, it is unusual for him to fail in properly 
sending the ball to his quarter. 

Originally the quarter was wont to run with or 
kick the ball, but now as a rule he passes it to one 
of the halves or to a rusher who has come behind 

32 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

him, instead of making the run himself. The 
quarter then directs the course of the play, so that 
scientific planning is possible ; whereas in the old 
method the element of chance was far greater 
than that of skill. 

One frequently hears old players speak of the 
' ' block game ' ' and its attendant evils. This was 
a system of play by which an inferior team was 
enabled to escape defeat by keeping continual 
possession of the ball while actually making but a 
pretense of play. So great did the evil become, 
that in 1882 a rule was made, to the effect that a 
side must make an advance of five yards or re- 
treat ten ^ in three scrimmages. The penalty for 
not doing this was the loss of the ball to the oppo- 
nents. This was later changed to a ten yard ad- 
vance and it was no longer legal to keep posses- 
sion by retrcv'^ting. A kick is considered equiva- 
lent to an advance, even though the same side 
should, by some error of the opponents, regain 
the ball when it comes down. The natural work- 
ing of this rule, as spectators of the game will 
readily see, is to cause a side to make one or two 
attempts to advance by the running style of play, 
and then, if they have not made the necessary dis- 
tance, to pass the ball back to a back for a kick. 
The wisdom of this play is evident. If they find 

1 This was altered later to twenty yards. 
33 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

they must lose tlie ball, they wish it to fall to their 
opponents as far down the field as possible, and 
so they send it by a long kick as near the enemy's 
goal as they can. 

One other rule, besides this one, has had a de- 
velopment worthy of particular attention. It is 
the one regarding the value of the points scored. 
At first, goals only were scored. Then touch- 
downs were brought in, and a match was decided 
by a majority of these, while a goal received a cer- 
tain equivalent value in touch-downs. Then the 
scoring of safeties was introduced; but only in 
this way, that in case no other point was scored 
a side making four less safeties than their oppo- 
nents should win the match. A goal kicked from 
a touch-down had always been considered of 
greater value than a field-kick goal, but it was not 
until the scoring had reached the point of count- 
ing safeties, that it was decided to give numerical 
values to the various points in order that matches 
might be more surely and satisfactorily decided. 
From this eventually came the method of scoring 
as follows : 

Goal from touch-down .... 6 points 

Touch-down failing goal .... 5 " 

Field-kick goal 3 " 

Safety by opponents 2 " 



34 



TOTJCH 

m 

GOAL 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 
IN GOAL 

I GOAL! 



GOAL LINE 



GOAL LINE 



TOUCH 

IN 
GOAL 



I 

a 

ss 



J!)_ 



. n» r. 



I 



3 



TWENTY FIVE o YARD LINE 



i 







(/> 



P O OO g Q O 





i 

a: 
r 

s- 



TWENTY FIVE 



YARD LINE 



I 



i60FEET 
18nr.6lN. 



TOUCH 

IN 

GOAL 



GOAL LINE I I GOAL LINE 

IGOALI 



Ui GOAL 

35 



TOUCH 

IN 
GOAL 



THE BOOK OF. FOOT -BALL 

THE POSITION OF PLAYEES IN SIMPLE PLAYS 

A few diagrams illustrative of the general posi- 
tion of the players when executing various ma- 
nceuvers will assist the reader in obtaining an in- 
sight into the plays. As there are no hard-and- 
fast rules for these positions, they are dependent 
upon the judgment of each individual captain; 
nevertheless, the diagrams indicate in a general 
way the formations most common. 

The first diagram shows the measurements of 
the field as well as the names of the general posi- 
tions of the two teams. While the front rank are 
all called forwards or rushers, distinctive names 
are given to the individual positions. These also 
are noted on this first diagram. 

The forwards of the side which has the kick, 
*' line up " even with the ball, while their oppo- 
nents take up their positions ten yards away. 
They are not permitted to approach nearer until 
the ball is touched with the foot. Of late years, 
now that it is the practice at kick-off to send the 
ball as far down the field as possible, the oppo- 
nents are wont to drop two forwards, near the 
ends of the line, back a few yards ; thus providing 
for a short kick. The quarter takes his place in 
a straight line back from the ball some sixty or 
seventy feet, while the two halves and the back 

36 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

stand sufficiently distant to be sure of catching 
a long kick. The positions of the side kicking the 
ball are not so scattered. All their forwards and 
the quarter stand even with the ball, ready to dash 
down the field, while the halves and back stand 
only a short distance behind them, because as soon 
as the ball is sent down the field they must be in 
proper places to receive a return kick from the 
opponents. 

The kick-off up to 1894 was more apt to be a 
" dribble," or a touching the ball with the foot 
and then passing or running with it. The result 
of this was that the opponents massed more com- 
pactly, the halves and quarter not playing far 
down the field, and the rushers at the ends not 
dropping back. The side having the kick, keeping 
in mind, of course, the particular play they in- 
tended to make, assumed positions that should the 
most readily deceive their opponents, if possible, 
and yet most favor the success of their manoeuver. 

For instance, the most common opening play 
was the '' wedge " or " V." In diagrams 2 and 
3 are shown the positions in this play. As the 
players '' lined out " they assumed as nearly as 
possible the regular formation, in order that their 
opponents might not at once become too certain 
of their intention. As soon, however, as play had 
been called, one saw the rushers closing up to the 

39 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

center and the player who was to make the run- 
ning dropping in close behind the man who was to 
play the ball. Diagram 2 illustrates the position 
at the moment of the kick-off. The kicker touched 
the ball with his foot, picked it up and handed it 
to the runner who was coming just behind him. 



Jbd. 



o o o 

NO. 2. 



±rL 



o 

NO. 3. 



The forwards at once dashed forward, making a 
V-shaped mass of men, just within the angle of 
which trotted the runner. Diagram 3 shows them 
at this point. 

But this wedge no sooner met the opposing line, 
than the formation became more or less unsteady, 
exactly in proportion to the strength and skill of 
the opponents. Against untrained players the 
wedge moved without great difficulty, often mak- 
ing twenty or thirty yards before it was broken. 
Skilful opponents would tear it apart much more 
speedily. The same principles still apply, but al- 
terations in the rules have done away with these 
wedges. 

40 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

Now came the most scientific part of the play — 
namely, the outlet for the runner and ball. There 
were two ways of successfully making this outlet. 
One was to have a running half-back moving along 
outside the wedge, taking care to be a little behind 
the runner, so that the ball might be passed to him 
without committing the foul of passing it ahead. 
When the wedge began to go to pieces, the ball 
was dexterously thrown out to him, and he had 
an excellent opportunity for a run, because the 
opposing rushers were so involved in breaking the 
wedge that they would not get after him quickly. 
Diagram 4 illustrates this. The second, and by 
far the most successful when well played, was for 
two of the forwards in the wedge to suddenly sep- 
arate and in their separation to push their oppo- 
nents aside with their bodies, so that a pathway 
was opened for the runner, and he might dart out 
with the ball. Diagram 5 shows this. 

Mass and wedge plays have been very much 
curtailed, and with design, by the insistence upon 
more kicking. Every kick-off and free kick had 
come to be the signal for a wedge. Now, thanks 
to the rules, they can be used but seldom. 

The formation of the side which has the ball in 
a scrimmage, next occupies our attention. As 
stated before, it is customary for them to make 
two attempts to advance the ball by a run before 

41 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

resorting to a kick. There is some slight differ- 
ence in the ways they form for these two styles 
of play. Diagram 6 shows the regular formation 
just previous to the run. The forwards are lined 
out, blocking their respective opponents, while the 



P^<r: 



NO. 4. 



.o^,^_J-t 




NO. 6. 



oooa/ooa 
3 



NO. 7. 



halves and backs generally bunch somewhat in 
order to deceive the opponents as to which man 
is to receive the ball, as well as to assist him, 
when he starts, by blocking off the first tacklers. 
Diagram 7 shows the line of a half-back's run 
through the rushers. A and B endeavor, as he 
comes, to separate (by the use of their bodies, for 
they cannot use their hands or arms to assist 

42 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 



their runner) the two rushers in front of them, 
that the runner may get through between them. 
Diagram 8 shows still another phase of the run- 
ning-game, where a rusher runs around behind 
the quarter, taking the ball from him on the run 



NO. 8. 



NO. 9. 



J— L 



o ooo o 



o e o o o o^ 



NO. 10. NO. 11. 

and making for an opening on the other side, or 
even on the very end. 

Diagram 9 shows the formation when, having 
made two attempts and not having advanced the 
ball ten yards, the side prefers to take a kick 
rather than risk a third failure, which would give 
the ball to the opponents on the spot of the next 
*' down." The formation is very like that for the 

43 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

run, except tliat the distance between tlie forward 
line and tlie halves is somewhat increased and the 
three men are strung out rather more. 

Let us now consider the formation of the oppos- 
ing side during these plays. There is but one 
formation for the opponents in facing the run- 
ning-game, and that is according to diagram 10. 
Of course they alter this whenever they have the 
good fortune to discover where the run is to be 
made, but this is seldom so evident as to make 
much of an alteration in formation safe. Their 
forwards line up, and their quarter as well as 
halves go up to the rush line wherever they find 
the danger point. Their halves used to stand 
fairly close up behind, but the introduction of the 
forward pass has forced these players to with- 
draw some eight yards from their tackle, and 
their back, or usually quarter-back, only a kicking 
distance further toward the goal. The formation, 
after the two attempts to run have failed, is, how- 
ever, quite different in respect to one half-back 
and the back. They at once run rapidly back until 
they are both at a considerable distance from the 
forwards. The back stands as far as he thinks 
it possible for the opposing half to kick, under the 
most favorable circumstances, while the half 
stands perhaps forty or fifty feet in advance, 
ready to take the ball from a shorter kick. Some 

44 



FOOT -BALL IN AMEEICA 

teams keep both halves in the line sending quar- 
ter back on this play. Diagram 11 illustrates this. 
In putting the ball in from the touch (see dia- 
gram 12), the same general formation prevails as 
in the ordinary scrimmage, for it is really nothing 
more than a scrimmage the man walking in a cer- 
tain number of yards and putting the ball on the 
ground for a scrimmage. It counts the same as 
an ordinary '' down " in respect to the necessity 



I— r 



oo Q oe oo 



NO. 12. 

of advancing ten yards — that is, if a side has 
made one attempt, from a down, to advance, and 
has carried the ball out of bounds, and then makes 
another unsuccessful attempt to advance, but is 
obliged to have the ball down again, without ac- 
complishing the ten-yard gain, it must on the next 
attempt make the distance or surrender the ball. 
These diagrams cover the most important sim- 
ple plays of the game, and give one an insight into 
the general manipulation of the players during 
the match. 

45 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 



The picture on p. 47 of the old style of play illustrates the typ- 
ical feature of the American game in distinction from the English; 
namely, the open scrimmage. The ball was placed on the ground, 
and the snap-back stood later with his hand instead of his 
foot upon it, and when his quarter-back gave him the signal that 
all was ready he snapped it backward. The quarter received it and 
passed it to another of his own side for a kick or run. The position 
of the players in this picture is excellent, showing, as it does, the 
points of play as one could see them only in an actual game. Begin- 
ning at the left of the picture, we see the end-rusher of the side which 
has not the ball. With his eyes fixed upon the center with the 
keenest attention, he awaits the first movement of the ball to 
dash through at the man who is likely to receive it. His opponent 
stands watching him with equal intensity, ready to block him 
at the moment he starts. Next stands the tackle, apparently per- 
fectly oblivious of the man facing him, and there is a confidence 
expressed in his attitude which assures one that this man, at least, 
will get through like a flash when the ball goes. Then there are 
two men, both stooping forward so that one sees but a leg of each. 
Of these two one is the guard and the other the quarter-back, 
who, seeing a chance of getting through, has run up into this open- 
ing. The opposing guard is straightening himself up, in order to 
cover, if possible, both these opponents. If one may judge from 
appearances, however, he will be tumbled over most unceremo- 
niously by the onslaught of the guard and quarter. The center- 
rush is braced for a charge, and with mouth open for breath awaits 
the first movement of his opponent. He, the snap-back, has just 
placed his foot upon the ball, and is ready to send it back as soon 
as the quarter, whose back and leg are just visible, shall give 
him the signal. The two men in the foreground are opposing guards, 
one of whom is ready to dash forward, and the other to block. 
The man who is about to block has his hands clasped, in order 
that he may be sure not to use them to hold his opponent, as 
that is an infringement of the rule. The other men in the rush 
line we cannot see, but one can rest assured that they are as wide 
awake to their duties as the eager ones in view. Behind the group 
stands the referee with his arms folded and eyes intent upon the 
ball. 



46 



FOOT -BALL IN AMEEICA 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME FEOM THE OEIGINAL 

EUGBY 

The history of Rugby foot-ball shows that while 
in the parent country it certainly changes, but 
changes slowly, as soon as it is transplanted, its 
evolution becomes more and more rapid. Each 
country seems to have a foot-ball spirit of its own, 
and that spirit can be satisfied only with a char- 
acteristic game. In some countries more than one 
kind of foot-ball flourishes. In Canada there have 
been as many as six or seven varieties of game, 
each holding certain followers, and all played in 
one season. It should be borne in mind, in consid- 
ering the American game, that we originally 
adopted the Rugby Union rules exactly as they 
stood. It is also a fact that almost without excep- 
tion England's colonies have developed games 
different from the original Rugby. 

It would leave the subject of foot-ball incom- 
pletely treated if one were not to indicate in such 
a way that he who runs may read how and where 
it has advanced or changed from the original 
Rugby. The principal points of growth are along 
the lines of the scrimmage, or scrununage, as the 
English call it, the interference, and the tackling. 
We have already outlined briefly how the Amer- 
ican scrimmage developed. 

Some measure of progress has taken place in 
49 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

Eugby, and lias developed into tlie * ' heeling out ' ' 
of the English and Canadian foot-ball. An Eng- 
lish sporting authority, commenting recently upon 
the English scrummage, says that there are only 
two ways of playing the scrum, either by wheel- 
ing the scrummage or by heeling out. The author- 
ity adds that both methods ' * are illegal under the 
rules," but ^' no team would stand any chance to- 
day that did not practise these methods." This 
is rather startling, in view of the questions that 
are now arising in American sport regarding 
playing strictly under the rules. In the old days, 
Englishmen condemned our heeling out with much 
vigor, but later adopted it. 

At any rate, the American, and soon after the 
Canadian, took up heeling out, and after a while 
the American center-rush stood with his foot on 
the ball and snapped it back to the quarter-back. 
The next step was that the center-rush put his 
hand on the end of the ball at the same time with 
his foot, and thus guided it back. It was not long 
before he omitted putting his foot on it altogether, 
snapping it back with the hand, which led directly 
to the present method, in which the man stands 
squarely on his feet and passes the ball back with 
both hands. 



50 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

INTEKFEBENCE 

Now, as to the development of our interference. 
Under the strict Rugby Union rules, a man once 
ahead of the ball — that is, between the ball and 
his opponents ' goal — was off-side, and could not 
interfere with the opponents. As soon as the ball 
was snapped back, however, all the men in the line 
became by that very act off-side, and theoretically 
must evaporate into thin air, else they would natu- 




QUAETEErBACK PASSING THE BALL IN THE OLD DAYS. 

rally interfere with the coming through of oppo- 
nents. In the American style of play they not 
only refused to disappear, but speedily began to 
project their arms in a horizontal direction, and, 
standing farther apart, thus covered with an al- 
most unbreakable front the play behind the line. 
Up to this time there was very little interference 
as such behind the line, but the rubers made, as 
indicated, a pretty stalwart bulwark in front. 
Naturally, from having their arms thus extended, 
the progress toward holding an opponent by 

51 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

wrapping the arms about Mm when he tried to 
come through was an easy step. 

This brought about a crisis in the game, and it 
was very thoroughly discussed as to whether it 
was possible to go back to first principles and en- 
tirely eliminate off-side interference. It was con- 
cluded that this would be impossible, and inter- 
ference was therefore legalized by enacting a law 
that the side with the ball might interfere with 
their bodies, but not with their hands and arms, 
while the side on the defense could use their hands 
and arms in breaking through. In other words, 
the side on the defense was given the right of 
way, and the side on the offense was forbidden to 
project their arms or to hold. This method has 
been continued up to the present day. In Canada 
they have in one style of their game gone through 
a similar step, but they still stand by the theory 
of no off-side interference. They find, however, 
that men in the line will interfere, and in order 
to extricate themselves from this predicament, 
they have a rule to the effect that if a play comes 
on a man, he may take two steps forward in the 
direction in which the play is going. One can 
easily see the complications to which this gives 
rise. 



52 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

TACKLING 

The other principal point of development in our 
game, and the one in which it differs somewhat 
from Rugby, is the greater skill in tackling. Even 
if our men were not allowed to tackle below the 
knees, their tackling is far more effective than 
that of the ordinary English player. I recall the 
case of two friends who played on the Continent 




A TACKLE UNDER THE OLD RULES. 

with a group of English players. One of them had 
played end in this country, and when the ball 
reached a quarter-back, my friend, in the easy 
American way, shot forward at him, striking him 
at the waist, while the Englishman, with the ball, 
went over on the ground. The Englishman at 
once said that was not the way to tackle, and, to 
the inquiry of the American player as to how he 

53 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

should tackle, replied, ' ' You should have collared 
me, and I would have passed the ball. ' * The tack- 
ling of an American end does not usually leave 
much opportunity for passing the ball, and unless 
the would-be passer gets rid of the ball an appre- 
ciable time before the tackier strikes him, there 
is not much likelihood of his delivering it to his 
comrade. 

METHOD OF PLAY 

Now just a few words to the uninitiated upon 
the methods and progress of play. 

In American intercollegiate foot-ball there are 
two ways in which points may be made : by kick- 
ing the ball, as above described, over the goal, and 
by touching it down behind the goal line. A 
" safety " is made when a side are so sorely 
pressed that they carry the ball behind their own 
goal line, and not when it is kicked there by the 
enemy. In the latter case, it is called a ** touch- 
back," and does not score either for or against the 
side making it. A " touch-down " is made when 
a player carries the ball across his opponent's 
goal line and there has it down, i. e., either cries 
*' Down " or puts it on the ground; or if he 
secures the ball after it has crossed his opponents' 
goal line and then has it " down." Such a play 
entitles his side to a '' try at goal," and if they 

54 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 




'55 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

succeed in kicking the ball over the bar, then 
the goal only scores and not the touch-down ; but 
if they miss the try, they are still entitled to the 
credit of the touch-down. A goal may also be 
made without the intervention of a touch-down — 
that is, it may be kicked direct from the field, 
either from a drop kick or a place kick, or even 
when the ball is rolling or bounding along the 
ground. This latter, however, is very unusual. 
In the scoring, the value of a field-kick goal is only 
three points, of a goal kicked from a touch-down, 
six ; if the touch-down does not result in a goal it 
counts five, and a safety by the opponents counts 
the other side two. 

When the game begins, the ball is placed in the 
center of the field and kicked off, as it is termed, 
by a player of the side which has lost the choice 
of goal. From that time forward, during sixty 
minutes of actual play, the two sides struggle to 
make goals and touch-downs against each other. 
Of the rules governing their attempts to carry the 
ball to the enemy's quarters, the most important 
are those of off-side and on-side. In a general 
way it may be said that '' off-side " means be- 
tween the ball and the opponents' goal, while ''on- 
side " means between the ball and one's own goal. 
A player is barred from handling the ball when 
in the former predicament. When a ball has been 

56 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

kicked by a player, all those of his side who are 
ahead of him — that is, between him and his op- 
ponents ' goal — are off-side, and even though the 
ball go over their heads they are still off-side until 
the ball has been touched by an opponent, or until 
the ball strikes the ground and has gone not less 
than twenty yards over the line of scrimmage. 
Either of these two events puts them on-side 
again. Any player who is on-side may run with 
and kick the ball, and his opponents may tackle 
him whenever he has the ball in his arms. It is 
fair for them to tackle him in any way except 
below the knees. They must not, however, throttle 
or choke him, nor may players used the closed 
fist. The runner may push his opponents off with 
his open hand or arm, in any way he pleases, and 
ability to do this well goes far toward making a 
successful runner. 

When a player having the ball is tackled and 
fairly held so that his advance is checked, and he 
cannot pass the ball, the referee blows his whistle 
and the ball is dead on that spot. The runner then 
hands the ball to the center rusher of his side and 
it is then put on the ground for a scrimmage. Any 
player of the side which had possession of the ball 
may then put it in play. Usually the center or 
snap-back, as he is called, does this work. He 
places the ball on the ground, and then with his 

59 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

hands passes the ball back. The man who first 
receives it is called the quarter-back. He may 
run with it, kick it, or pass it to some other player. 

" Free kicks " are those where the opponents 
are restrained by rule from interfering with the 
ball or player until the kick is made. At the com- 
mencement of the game, the side which has lost 
the choice of goals has a free kick from the center 
of the field ; and when a goal has been scored, the 
side which has lost it has a free kick from the 
same location. Any player who fairly catches the 
ball on the fly from an opponent's kick has a free 
kick, provided he signals his intention by raising 
his hand. A side which has made a touch-down 
has a free kick at the goal, and a side which has 
made a safety or a touchback has a free kick or 
scrimmage from any spot behind the twenty-five- 
yard line. This line is the fifth white line from 
their goal, and upon that mark the opponents 
may line up. 

A violation of any rule is called a foul, and in 
some cases involves loss of distance and in others 
the opponents have the privilege of putting the 
ball down where the foul was made. Certain 
fouls are punished by additional penalties. A 
player is immediately disqualified for striking 
with the closed fist or unnecessary roughness, and 
his side is also penalized half the distance to their 

60 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

goal line. A side loses a certain distance, or the 
opponents may have a free kick, as a penalty for 
throttling, tripping up, or tackling below the 
knees. For off-side play a side loses five yards. A 
player may pass or throw the ball in any direction 
except toward his opponents' goal. Under cer- 
tain conditions the men behind the line may pass 
the ball forward. When the ball goes out of 
bounds at the side, it is '' put in " at the spot 
where it crossed the line by a player of the first 
side securing the ball. He walks out with it any 
distance not greater than fifteen paces, and puts 
it down for a scrimmage. 

Of the four individuals one sees on the field in 
citizen's dress, one is the umpire, one the referee, 
and the third the field judge, and the fourth the 
linesman. They are selected to see that the rules 
are observed, and to settle any questions arising 
during the progress of the game. It is the duty 
of the umpire to decide all points directly con- 
nected with the players ' conduct, while the referee 
decides questions of the position or progress of 
the ball. The original rules provided that the 
captains of the two sides should settle all dis- 
putes; but this, at the very outset, was so 
manifestly out of the question that a provision 
was made for a referee. Then, as the captains 
had their hands full in commanding their teams, 

61 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

two judges were appointed, and it was the duty of 
these judges to make all claims for their respect- 
ive sides. These judges soon became so importu- 
nate with their innumerable claims as to harass 
the referee beyond all endurance. The next step, 
therefore, was to do away with the judges and 
leave the referee sole master of the field. Even 
then the referee found so much that it was impos- 
sible for him to watch, that it was decided to ap- 
point a second man, called an umpire, to assist 
him. This umpire assumed the responsibility of 
seeing that players committed no fouls, thus leav- 
ing the referee's undivided attention to be de- 
voted to following the course of the ball. The 
field judge and linesman are later additions. 

This has proved so wonderfully successful that 
the base-ball legislators have adopted a system 
of dividing the work between two umpires. 

FOOTBALL ON THE GREEN" 

Fifty-two years ago last October there appeared 
posted on the door of the Lyceum at Yale College 
the following challenge: 
Sophomores : 

The Class of '61 hereby challenge the Class of 
'60 to a game of foot-ball, best two in three 
In behalf of the Class, 

A. Sheridan Burt 

James W. McLane Committee. 

R. L. Chamberlain 

62 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

No sooner was this observed than the soph- 
omores posted this answer: 

Gomel 
And like sacrifices in their trim 
To the fire-eyed maid of smoky war, 
All hot and bleeding will we offer you. 

To OUR Youthful Feiei^ds of the Class op 
Sixty-one : 

We hereby accepted your challenge to play the 
noble and time-honored game of foot-ball, and ap- 
point 2^ 'clock p. M., on Saturday, October 10, 
1857, and the foot-ball grounds as time and place. 

In behalf of the Class of Sixty, 

L. G. Post • 

E. G. Massey I Committee. 

A. G. Palfrey 

For a dozen years previous to this event foot- 
ball games between freshmen and sophomores had 
been an annual occurrence at New Haven, not the 
organized game of to-day, but a general scrim- 
mage between the two classes, usually degener- 
ating into a rush. 

These games took place upon the Green, the 
large public square opposite the college grounds. 
A considerable number of people, including many 
ladies, gathered upon the steps of the State House 
to watch the contest. The sophomores were wont 

63 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

to dress in fantastic garb and paint their faces in 
grotesque colors. The game was started with the 
ball in the possession of the freshmen, one of them 
taking the ball and rushing with it in a wedge or 
phalanx of his classmen, who thus advanced to the 
combat. Fourteen picked men of the sophomore 
class met this wedge and proceeded to tear it to 
pieces or to check its progress, while the rest of 
the class executed flank movements upon the 
freshmen phalanx and engaged with the flankers 
of the freshmen. The ball used was a round one. 
Upper classmen acted as Umpires. In the year 
1849 the class of '52, then sophomores, had the 
fortitude to decline the challenge of the freshmen, 
but so strong did college opinion prove that the 
following year the game was revived. In 1855 and 
1856 the game was again omitted. When, there- 
fore, the classes of '60 and '61 endeavored to re- 
new these little-disguised hostilities, the faculty 
prohibited the rush. Their action was not, how- 
ever, against foot-ball, for only a few days later 
they took action '' to preserve the right of the 
students to play foot-ball upon the Green." 
Nevertheless, the city passed a by-law prohibiting 
the playing of foot-ball, base-ball, and other games 
on the streets or public squares of the city, and 
it was not until the early '70 's that the game was 
once more taken up in New Haven. 

64 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

The revival was due to the presence in the class 
of 73 of an old Rugby player, Mr. D. S. Schaff. 
An attempt to play upon the Green once more re- 
sulted in something like a riot, but, nothing 
daunted, the players engaged a lot on Elm Street. 
After a few years the games were transferred to 
Hamilton Park, a large driving-park on the out- 
skirts of the city. There until 1884, when Yale 
Field was purchased, the game grew and 
flourished, although up to 1876 it was only a 
travesty upon Rugby foot-ball, being the best com- 
promise that could be brought about at that time. 

THE FIVE-YABD RULE 

The " five-yard rule,'' compelling a side to ad- 
vance the ball at least five yards in three attempts 
or else surrender it to the opponents, at once ef- 
fected an immeasurable improvement. Further, 
the public has more recently discovered that by 
the further use of this principle of increasing the 
distance to be gained the game may be made just 
as ' ' open ' ' — that is, just as free from the group- 
ing together of a mass of men charging with the 
ball into another mass of men — as is desired. 
For two years, in the face of the opposition of 
many old players and others, the writer urged the 
increase of this distance from five to ten yards. 
But it was sure to come, because the public be- 

65 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

lieved that mass plays should be eliminated, and 
the one sure way to eliminate them was to make 
them unprofitable to the player. 

And even under the ten-yard rule should the 
play take on again, through any possible devices 
of offense, the character of mass play, the rule- 
makers will be forced once more to increase the 
distance to be gained. It is an infallible remedy, 
and the public knows it. With this rule in effect, 
open play is essential, and any rough play is seen 
by those who in the long run always determine the 
spirit of the game ; namely, the body of collegians 
and their friends who follow it. One need not be 
an expert to understand all this. The separation 
of the two scrimmage-lines — that is, placing the 
forward line of men of one team a couple of feet 
or so from their opponents — aided materially, 
while much has been added to the spectators' in- 
terest by two points of play: (1) the " forward 
pass ' ' — that is, the privilege of throwing the 
ball toward the opponents' goal, — and (2) the 
''on-side kick," — that is, permitting the side 
kicking the ball themselves to recover such a 
kicked ball without waiting for it to be touched by 
the opponents, provided the ball first touches the 
ground. Both these plays have enabled the spec- 
tator to follow the play more understandingly. 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

MEANING OF OFF-SIDE PLAY 

To the uninitiated it should be said that until 
the introduction of these two rules, all Rugby foot- 
ball, from which our game was developed, forbade 
a player passing or throwing the ball in any direc- 
tion save towards his own goal, and also estab- 
lished the principle that any man who was ahead 
of the ball — that is, between the ball and his op- 
ponents ' goal — was '' off-side," and could not 
touch or recover the ball, after it had been touched 
by one of his own men behind him, until it had 
touched an opponent. Such a player was put ' ' on- 
side " when the ball was thus touched by an op- 
ponent. This was the principle of ' ' on-side ' ' and 
" off-side !^ which governed all Rugby contests. 

INTKODUCTION OF SIGNALS 

In the early days of American foot-ball there 
were no signals. In fact, the writer has on a card 
the first set of signals ever used in the game, 
and a most simple code they were, consisting of 
single sentences, which were used to indicate four 
plays. The sentences were, '' Play up sharp, 
Charlie! " and " Look out quick. Dead " Each 
entire sentence indicated a play, and the omission 
of first one word and then another, served to 
disguise it. It was simple, and I imagine that 
many a team and quarter-back in these days of 

69 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 



GO tri f 

(B C O O 



B o- 



"ES 



S ^ 






2" S ^ 

►^ i-s p 
04 ' S 



tr <t> "a 



O Oi 
B B 



B^ Cs* ® 



^'S ^ 



O 13 td 



o as M 

B* B- -i: 

SO M p5 

CO _ 



c. B 



00 Cr M cr 
ff P? S" fa 



IM !? o« 



H 
O 



HfHfP #^ 

l^ ft 

sir 



g- ?; S 



§ 3. 

P _ 



70 



FOOT -BALL IN AMEEICA 

complicated signals would feel a great relief from 
the mental effort could they return to four plays 
and a single sentence to memorize. Nowadays 
some teams go on the field with no fewer than 
sixty possible plays, each indicated by its own 
signal. 

GAME ON THE OLD POLO GEOUNDS 

If there were anything that might make a mo- 
mentary ripple upon the steady, resistless stream 
of New York life it should certainly have been 
one of these foot-ball games. While there are 
plenty of base-ball enthusiasts, they possess their 
souls and their enthusiasm in patience before they 
reach, and after they leave, the grounds. But the 
collegian has no sense of repression, and his en- 
thusiasm annually stirred up the sober, sedate 
dignity of Fifth Avenue from the Brunswick to 
the Park. A few years ago the wiseacres said: 
" No one will come to a game on Thanksgiving 
Day. New Yorkers will never give up their an- 
nual dinner for anything under the sun. ' ' At the 
last game played on that day forty thousand 
people postponed their annual dinner to see the 
Yale-Princeton match. Perhaps nothing will bet- 
ter illustrate the pitch to which the interest had 
attained than to take the ride to the grounds, first 
with the spectators, then with the team. Coaches 

71 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 



had been bringing as high as a hundred and 
twenty-five dollars apiece for the day, and even at 
that price were engaged weeks before the contest. 
Stages were resorted to. The old 'bus appeared 
in rejuvenated habiliments, bedecked with great 
streamers of partizan colors, and freighted with 
the eager sympathizers of the Orange or the Blue. 
Long before noon, tally-hos drew up before the 
up-town hotels, and were soon bearing jolly 
parties out to the grounds, in order to make sure 
of a place close to the ropes. The corridors of the 
Fifth Avenue, Hoffman, and Windsor had for 
twelve hours been crowded by college boys eagerly 
discussing the prospects of the rival teams. Any 
word from the fortunate ones who were permitted 
to visit the teams was seized and passed from 
mouth to mouth as eagerly as if upon the outcome 
of the match hung the fate of nations. The con- 
dition of Jones's ankle was fraught with the ut- 
most interest, and all the boys heaved sighs of 
relief at hearing that he would be able to play. 

Having talked over the state of affairs all the 
evening, and until noon of the momentous day, 
each boy was thoroughly primed to tell his sister 
(and particularly his chum's sister) all about 
every individual member of his own team, as well 
as to throw in the latest gossip concerning the op- 
ponents. He was frequently interrupted in this 

72 



FOOT -BALL IN AMEEICA 




73 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

conversation, held on the top of the coach, by the 
necessity of stopping to cheer some house where 
his colors were displayed in the windows, or to 
salute some passing tally-ho from which the 
similarly colored ribbons dangled and banners 
waved. 

Arrived on the grounds, the coaches were drawn 
up in line, and while anxiously awaiting the advent 
of the two teams, the appearance of each Prince- 
ton or Yale flag became an excuse for another 
three times three. And how smartly the boys 
executed their cheers ! The Yale cry was sharper 
and more aggressive, but the Princeton boys put 
more force and volume into theirs. The fair 
faces of the girls were as flushed with excitement 
as were those of the men, and their hearts no less 
in the cheering. 

Having followed the spectators out, and seen 
them safely and advantageously placed, let us ride 
back and return with one of the teams. We find 
the men (who have been confined all the morning 
between four walls in order to prevent their talk- 
ing over the chances, and thus becoming anxious 
and excited) just finishing their luncheon. They 
eat but little, as, in spite of their assumed coolness, 
there is no player who is not more or less nervous 
over the result. Hurriedly leaving the table, they 
go to their rooms and put on their uniforms. One 

74 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

after another tliey assemble in tlie captain's room, 
and, if one might judge from the appearance of 
their canvas jackets and begrimed trousers, they 
are not a set of men to fear a few tumbles. 
Finally, they all have appeared, the last stragglers 
still engaged in lacing up their jackets. The cap- 
tain then says a few words of caution or en- 
couragement to them, as he thinks best. He is 
evidently in dead earnest, and so are they, for 
you might hear a pin drop as he talks in a low 
voice of the necessity of each man's rendering a 
good account of himself. Thoughtfully they file 
out of the room, troop down the stairs, and out 
through the side entrance, where the coach is wait- 
ing for them. Then the drive to the grounds, — 
very different from the noisy, boisterous one we 
have just taken with the admirers of these same 
men. Hardly a word is spoken after the first few 
moments, and one fairly feels the atmosphere of 
determination settling down upon them as they 
bowl along through the Park. Every man has his 
own thoughts, and keeps them to himself ; for they 
have long ago discussed their rivals, and each 
man has mentally made a comparison between 
himself and the man he is to face, until there is 
little left to say. Now they leave the Park and 
rumble up to the big north gate of the Polo 
Grounds. As they crawl leisurely through the 

75 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

press of carriages, everything makes way for 
them, and the people in line for tickets stare at 
the coach for a glimpse of the players. They are 
soon in, and, jumping out at the dressing-rooms, 
run in and throw off outside coats, still keeping on 
the heavy sweaters. Now comes a slight uneasy 
delay, as it is not yet quite time to go out on the 
field lest their rivals keep them waiting there too 
long in the chill air. This is in truth the mauvais 
quart d'heure of the foot-ball player, for the men's 
nerves are strung to a high pitch. Perhaps some 
one begins to discuss a play or the signals, and in 
a few minutes the players are in a fair way to be- 
come thoroughly mixed, when the captain utters 
a brief but expressive, " Shut up there, will you?" 
and growls out something about all knowing the 
signals well enough if they'll quit discussing them. 
A short silence follows, and then they receive the 
word to come out. As they approach the great 
black mass of people and carriages surrounding 
the ground, they feel the pleasant stimulus of the 
crisp fresh air, and their hearts begin to swell 
within them as they really scent the battle. Just 
as they break through the crowd into the open field, 
a tremendous cheer goes up from the throats of 
their friends, and the eager desire seizes them to 
dash in and perform some unusual deed of skill 
and strength. 

76 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

The old Polo Grounds have fallen before the 
advance of city streets. That old enclosure, the 
scene of some most exciting college contests, will 
never again resound with the mad cheer of en- 
thusiastic spectators; but there will be handed 
down to boys coming after, the memory and story 
of some grand old games, and there will always be 
a touch in common among the old players who saw 
service on those grounds. Of late years the game 
has been transferred to New Haven and Prince- 
ton alternately, much to the regret of the New 
York enthusiasts. 

NECESSITY OF MODIFICATION 

An American usually takes even his sports 
more seriously than the Englishman. This is true 
not alone of foot-ball. But in such a strenuous 
game the results of this seriousness become more 
marked. Hence at the same time with the devel- 
opment of play there have come occasions for re- 
strictive legislation. The game becomes too 
severe, and is modified. Then combes an improved 
period. The game is about to go through another 
of its transformations. It is essential that the 
increased tendency toward mass play, from which 
come the more serious injuries, must be checked 
again at all hazards. The taking away of the 
assistance of the defensive half from tackle by 

79 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

the forward pass has worked toward a renewal 
of the old heavy plays against this position. 
There is much to be done, but one can hardly 
doubt the willingness to act when reading such 
letters as these which came at the time of an ear- 
lier crisis in the life of the game : 

Chitnoor, India. 

I played foot-ball throughout my college course 
at Rutgers (1878-1882), and part of my theolog- 
ical seminary course (1882-1886). For four of 
those years I was regularly on the Varsity team, 
and captain in 1882, in the year, I think, in which 
Eutgers scored the touch-down against Yale, — 
the first, I think, — and when you arrived later in 
the game at New Brunswick and we first discov- 
ered your presence by a drop-kick for a goal from 
the field. But this is reminiscence. 

I have been in India for six years and my bicy- 
cle has carried me far and near, by day and by 
night, and I have no doubt that much of my en- 
durance is attributable to my foot-ball experience. 
In our mission there are three old foot-ball play- 
ers, and I fancy no one will question our claim to 
the greatest endurance and general good health. 

Melbourne, Victoria. 
I have watched with interest your close connec- 
tion with the game since I left New Haven, as also 

80 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA 

your efforts to effect such improvement as the 
condition of the game suggested. For ten years 
I have been out of touch with the Eugby game 
or any modification of it. The game played here, 
and watched by upward of fifty thousand people 
every Saturday for five months in the year, is as 
near as can be the game played at Yale when big 
Fulton was captain, and the following year — of 
course you remember it. Certain unimportant 
modifications have been made with a view of 
making it a fast game. At present I consider it 
a finer game, from a spectator's point of view, 
than the Rugby game played at Yale in 1879 and 
1880. 

I sympathize with you in your efforts to free 
the game from any objectionable features as well 
as from false prejudice. 

ToTcyo, Japan. 

I of course do not agree with the opinion that 
foot-ball should be prohibited in the schools and 
colleges. There is quite too much good in it to 
justify the current wholesale denunciation on the 
score of the dangers involved. At the same time 
I should be glad to see changes made in the rules 
that would prevent, or at least limit, mass plays 
and other rougher features of the game. 

I certainly hope that the enemies of the game 
will not win, but that changes may be agreed upon 

81 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

such as shall satisfy the public that American 
Eugby is really what it claims to be — a manly 
exercise and discipline, and rather a safeguard 
against than a cultivator of ruffianism in Amer- 
ican student life. 

Yet the certain net gains we have made seem to 
be permanent. We have surely improved the 
spirit of play. The charge of intentional brutality 
no longer stands. We have shortened the period 
of play, and lessened thereby the strain. The rec- 
ord of the Yale-Columbia game in November, 1872, 
showed something either of the way time was kept 
in those days, or else the ability of the team to 
keep going for an unlimited period. Think of this, 
those of you who feel that four fifteen 
minute periods may be too long. *' The first goal 
was scored in fifteen minutes, the second goal took 
fifty-eight minutes, and the third goal forty 
minutes. ' ' That fifty-eight-minute goal must have 
been trying on both sides. We have also brought 
the playing season to an earlier ending, and 
avoided some of the risks of former days on frozen 
grounds. 

Two games in the autumn of 1876 were specially 
remarkable on account of the weather conditions. 
It was hardly to be expected that the cold weather 
would hold o:ff much after the first of December, 

82 



FOOT -BALL IN AMERICA ^ 

yet the Yale-Harvard Freshman game was 
scheduled for Boston on December 2, and the Yale- 
Columbia 'Varsity for New York on December 
9. The writer can speak from experience, because 
he played in each game. The Freshman caught 
the first of the exposures, playing in Boston with 
the thermometer below zero on a ground that had 
not, of course, been protected by straw, and was 
like cobblestones. 

The next week, with this experience in mind, I 
provided myself with some protection, not only 
dressing as warmly as possible, but carrying to 
the game a big pair of gantleted sealskin gloves. 
My regular position was half-back, and while play- 
ing in that position one had enough work during 
the first half to keep busy and comparatively 
warm, although the thermometer stood only seven 
above zero. But the man who was playing back, 
waiting for kicks, was gradually freezing to death, 
and in the intermission at the end of the first half 
I was told that I was to play full-back and let the 
other man warm up. Before going on the field, 
I put on my big fur gloves. After the game had 
been going about ten minutes, a Columbia man 
got through the line and passed the half-back, and 
I was left between him and the goal. I managed 
to get off one of the gloves, but there was no time 
to get rid of the other. I tackled the man and 

85 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

brought Mm down, but as lie fell, Ms head struck 
the frozen ground. It must be confessed that my 
knowledge of anatomy at that time was slight. 
The man was stunned for a moment, and his scalp 
was slightly cut. I was sure that the man's head 
had broken open like an egg-shell, and that I had 
killed him, and I ran up to the captain and said 
that I wished to be taken out, as I had killed a man 
and could not play any more. I was much aston- 
ished and tremendously relieved when the 
man came to, and went on playing, his injury 
proving to be only a scratch. Such an accident 
was trivial, but the tendency toward mass play 
and injury this last season is serious. 

NECESSITY FOE FUETHER IMPEOVEMENT 

As was proved years ago by the introduction of 
the five-yard rule, and three or four years ago by 
the substitution for that five-yard rule of a ten- 
yard rule, there is just one specific against in- 
creased or increasing mass plays, and that is in 
the increase of the distance to be gained in three 
downs. As the tendency of the game is all the 
time toward improvement in team play, so the 
players outgrew the five-yard rule, and, taken with 
the weakening of support in the tackle caused by 
the defense in the forward pass, are in a fair way 
to outgrow the ten-yard rule. In fact, in the minds 

86 



FOOT -BALL IN AMEEICA 

of all there is once again too great a proportion 
of mass play, and the distance to be gained, there- 
fore, should be extended once more, or some other 
method adopted of preventing the hammering of 
heavy plays on the unprotected tackles. The public 
knows perfectly well, and so do the students of the 
game, that the one thing which tended most in 
this direction, as soon as the discovery was made 
by coaches, was the addition of certain features 
of the open game itself. It is indeed rather doubt- 
ful if coaches would persistently use mass plays 
on tackle, even if the ten-yard distance were not 
increased, did they not know that the defensive 
half-back and end must be pulled away from this 
tackle on account of the fear of the forward pass, 
thus leaving the tackle far more defenseless than 
ever he was in the old game. 

The other element which has once more added 
to the attractiveness of mass play is the difficulty 
of devising a defense to open play. After three 
years of experimenting, in which the increased 
distance to be gained has been strong enough to 
keep coaches working on more open play, they 
have learned that it is very difficult to provide a 
broad defense to the increasing possibilities of 
the forward pass and the on-side kick. They have 
discovered that providing such a defense takes 
. the half-back and end away from the tackle. 

87 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

Hence the clever coach has begun to combine the 
two ideas by playing mass plays. While his op- 
ponents are guarding against open play, he can 
succeed in making several consecutive downs and, 
even more vital, in keeping possession of the ball 
for a very considerable period of time, — say, 
eight minutes to the opponent's two minutes, — if 
the opponent is playing an open game. The suc- 
cess of open plays like forward passes and on-side 
kicks is not greater on the average than one out 
of three plays, so the team playing the open game 
must have possession of the ball three times to 
execute one successful play. The side playing the 
close plays retains the ball something like four 
times as long, and hence has a very distinct ad- 
vantage. 

When the ten-yard rule was adopted there were 
two parties strongly demanding a change in foot- 
ball rules. One was the party that hoped to see 
injuries lessened, the other the party that did not 
make so much of this feature, but wished to see 
the play opened out as a matter of increased in- 
terest. It was not contended by either side, nor 
by the devotees of the old game, that any set of 
rules would eliminate accidents from foot-ball. 
But the accident arising from the use of the mass 
play is the point which seems to call most par- 
ticularly for action. Other accidents in the open 




O H 
H Id 

M u 

S 55 
2S 



o h 

2 H 



OH t^ 



< U 



FOOT -BALL IN AMEEICA 

are regarded in a different way even by the critics 
of the game. They may happen without any pos- 
sible means of limitation. But the feeling of un- 
fairness when one man is meeting a number is 
surely not without reason, and it is the best 
feature of the ten-yard rule that at least for three 
years it has been effective in curtailing that style 
of play. Hence it is evident that either that dis- 
tance must be increased once more or it will be- 
come a menace, especially as the discovery has now 
been made by coaches that the opposing tackle 
is far more vulnerable and less supported than in 
the old game. It may be necessary to make the 
distance fifteen yards in three downs, with a rever- 
sion to five yards in three downs when the fifteen- 
yard line nearest the goal is reached. It has also 
been suggested, and the experiment will be tried, 
that the attacking side should not be allowed to 
use their hands or arms to push or pull their own 
men, and that the man about to receive a forward 
pass be protected. The difficulty here is the great 
complexity of the rules necessary to effect this 
protection. It might have been better to limit the 
ta,ckling. However the game has always been 
subject to revision of rules as exigencies arose. 
Another experiment is that the halves be sub- 
divided by a three-minute intermission, the ball 
remaining in the same relative position but with 

91 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

a change of goals, giving an opportunity to see 
that there are no exhausted or injured players 
who should be removed. 

> Many are calling for the abolition of the for- 
ward pass. Yet it does seem as if the attractive- 
ness of that play may still be preserved if the 
distance to be gained be increased, and at the same 
time open-field running be aided by forbidding 
tackling below the hips. The order of legislation 
should certainly be, first, the lessening of the 
danger incident to mass play and, second, the 
preservation of a fair balance between the attack 
and the defense. 

In this connection perhaps one point has not re- 
ceived its full emphasis. The game has furnished 
an opportunity not afforded in any other sport for 
the big, overgrown fat boy, who before the intro- 
duction of the game had no field in which he could 
shine, and hence too little incentive to exercise. 
The type of man who for the last twenty years has 
found in the foot-ball positions of center and guard 
a chance particularly designed for him was before 
the introduction of our modern game only a joke 
to himself and to others. He could not run fast, 
he was not agile, he seldom had any particular 
knack, and he found rowing, base-ball, tennis, and 
track sports, with the possible exception of weight- 
throwing, closed to him. That type of man — the 

92 



FOOT -BALL IN AMEEICA 

man tliat really needed the exercise and discipline 
far more than the lighter, more wiry type — has 
come to his own, and, if possible, we shonld keep 
him in athletics. Weight and static power, as it 
were, shonld have its chance as mnch as speed and 
agility, and it would be a pity not to keep some 
part of the play for such men. 

There will be injuries, but we should minimize 
these as far as possible, and every effort toward 
this end will be made. No foot-ball is wholly free 
from them. 



CHAPTER III 

THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

SO mncTi has been written and published malign- 
ing the sport of foot-ball that it has developed 
occasional champions who have taken up the 
cudgels in its behalf, and it may be true that the 
partizans to the game have sometimes, by this 
very attempt to see fair play done to the sport, 
perpetuated for a time certain of its evil features. 
Before taking up its ancient history in this regard, 
it is proper to make certain admissions that the 
level-headed believer in the sport would be quite 
ready to accord if he were taken at a time when by 
attack he was not thrown so strongly upon the 
defensive. In the first place, the development of 
the old block game, already commented upon in 
these pages, was an instance of this character. 
The game had become more and more concen- 
trated and much of the sport had gone out of it. 
Even these points were not, at the time, fully ad- 
mitted by the players until they were so empha- 
sized that there was no doubt of the issue. Then 
the five-yard rule was adopted, and not only saved 
the game but injected into it a wonderful amount 

94 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

of new possibilities. Its partizans who liad stead- 
fastly stood by it even in its waning excitement 
were only too ready to see the value of the new 
development, and within a season no one would 
have willingly returned to the old game. Very 
likely this must be the history of any sport of such 
a character. Certain revisions from time to time, 
owing to the development of the play, were neces- 
sary and unavoidable. Such revisions were almost 
always sturdily combated by the immediate 
players because they were more satisfied to con- 
tinue with the game they knew than to take up the 
intricacies and possibilities of a new manual. At 
the time when this five-yard rule was first pro- 
posed, there was apparently little chance for its 
adoption, but once taken up as an experimental 
revision it made its way instantly to successful 
permanence. In fact, it brought the game out of 
what might have proved its death struggle and 
started it on a new lease of life. 

The difficulties concerning the sport have, from 
time immemorial, been that the game being one 
of vigorous, physical, personal contact lends itself 
to that very strenuousness which must be con- 
trolled by rules as well as by the spirit of fair 
play. The tendency toward this even in legitimate 
play is a feature that must always receive the 
most careful consideration, as will be seen when 

95 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

we take up the ancient history of the sport. This 
has always been a part of the criticism and prob- 
ably always will be. It is essential, therefore, that 
rule-makers be experienced in the play, and still 
more in the making of rules, otherwise the plays 
or alteration in the rules which promise to benefit 
the game, if made without due consideration, may 
turn out exactly the reverse and may introduce 
certain new and extremely undesirable features. 
Not even the best rule-makers may hope to be 
infallible, but they must be conscientious and work 
faithfully regardless of the two sides which always 
seem to be at odds, namely, that represented by 
the general public demanding spectacular fea- 
tures, and sometimes preying upon the feelings of 
those who are fearful of accidents, and the other 
side represented by the players who are never 
contented under probabilities of changes and who 
would, without any question, continue to believe 
in their own game, in spite of the argument or 
evidence that it should be altered. 

There is really much to be said in favor of foot- 
ball, and much has been well said and explains 
why the sport has acquired its tenacious hold upon 
players and spectators. History shows that the 
game of foot-ball has been severely criticized and 
denounced and even forbidden by law, but with 
singular insistence it continues to assert its vital- 

96 



THE NBTV; FOOT -BALL 

ity, and it never was more popular tlian in 
America to-day. East and West, North and South, 
it spreads. Whatever objection there may be to 
it, — or, rather, to the abuse of it, — the history 
of the sport would indicate that it is " here to 
stay," and the part of wisdom both of its advo- 
cates and its critics would seem to consist in en- 
deavoring to eliminate the objectionable features. 

This extraordinary vitality in the face of ad- 
verse, and even what was assumed to be prohibit- 
ive, legislation as far back as 1314, in the time of 
King Edward II, suggests that the sport serves 
some good purpose. Instead, then, of hoping for 
its abandonment, the more thoughtful have sought 
for, and, it is safe to say, have found a steady im- 
provement. The game is far less brutal than in 
the old days, and even its comparatively short life 
in this country has been marked by great progress 
in method and spirit. 

The physical and mental development produced 
in the individual player is not all that may be cited 
in its support. Those who look beneath the sur- 
face find in foot-ball in the United States some- 
thing to supply that lack of rigid discipline for 
which the American youth, except possibly at 
West Point and Annapolis, suffer in comparison 
with those of other peoples. Not only does the 
rigid training establish self-control in those who 

97 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

play, but the game holds up a standard of dis- 
cipline to those who observe it. And it must be 
admitted that this side of the argument is a strong 
one, while the fact that it offers almost the ideal 
measure of effort followed by immediate relaxa- 
tion renders it far less a tax on the vital organs 
than the majority of our contests. 

As it involves personal physical contact, it al- 
ways will be a strenuous sport, appealing to the 
vigorous, healthy boy. 

THE VAST IMPROVEMENT IN" THE GAME 

Here in America there is no comparison in 
method and morale between the game played in 
the late seventies and early eighties and that now 
played. It is hardly the purpose of this article 
to do more than touch upon this feature, but one 
instance will perhaps suffice to show the contrast. 
In the old days, as now, striking with the fist was 
forbidden, but then a player would be three times 
warned for rough play before he was disqualified, 
whereas now not only is the first act of this nature 
punished with disqualification, but the player's 
side also incurs a severe penalty. There are of- 
fenders in all sports, but in foot-ball the penalties 
are now so severe that intentional offenses are 
rare. Moreover, the general spirit of the player 
has been successfully invoked. As to the methods 

98 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

of play, the improvement is evident to those who 
remember the old meetings of Yale and Princeton 
on the Polo Grounds in New York, when one side 
actually held the ball for an entire half, merely 
lunging up into the opposing lines with the ball. 

DEVELOPMENT OF WEIGHT PLAYS 

Following after more complete organization 
came the introduction of a variety of plays de- 
pendent largely upon the general theory of sud- 
denly concentrating the weight of attack upon a 
point in the opponents' line that could not be as 
quickly supported. Mr. L. F. Deland of Boston 
brought out with the Harvard team the flying- 
wedge, where the attack, by dividing its men into 
two groups and getting under headway, could con- 
ceal the direction of the attack until the two 
groups met and it was too late for the defense to 
adjust itself. Mr. Greorge W. Woodruff intro- 
duced a flying interference at Pennsylvania. In 
this play one wing of the line started before the 
ball was put in play, and swung around as inter- 
ferers for the play which followed them. From 
this later Mr. Woodruff introduced the play 
known as *' guards back," in which two heavy 
men next the center of the line were drawn back 
into the back field as interferers. Princeton, while 
making much of wedge plays in the early days, 

101 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 



5 
10 
IS 

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SO 
38 
40 
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46 
40 
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DELANO'S FLYING INTERFEKENCE AS USED BY HARVARD. 

When this play was introduced, there was no rale providing that 
the kick-off should be an actual kick ; but a man might touch the 
ball with his foot, and then pick it up and pass it. The quarter-back 
(1, in the diagram) stood with the ball in the center of the field, 
ready for the kick-off. On the right, diagonally back, was grouped 
a squad composed of the center, guards, and tackles, and one other 
heavy man. On the left, not so far back or so far distant from the 
ball, was another group containing four lighter men, including the 
one who was to receive the ball from the quarter. Before the ball 
was put in play these squads got in motion, the larger (right) squad 
starting at full speed, and the smaller (left) squad starting slowly, 
so that they would converge on the ball at approximately the same 
time. The quarter-back did not put the ball in play until the squads 
were virtually upon him, and then at the moment that they struck, 
the lighter squad executed a quarter turn to the left, joining the 
heavy squad, and the quarter-back handed the ball to the runner 
(2, in the diagram), thus protected, and the mass moved at full speed 
very nearly in the direction already indicated by the squad of heavy 
men. The play could be turned to the other side, though rather less 
advantageously. 

102 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 



» • ♦ 



oo o o oo o 



6 
10 
IS 

20 
25 
30 
35 
40 
4S 
00 

ss 

CO 
4S 
40 
3S 
30 
2» 
20 
IS 
10 
6 



WOODRUFF'S FLYING INTERFERENCE AS USED BY 
PENNSYLVANIA. 
This play was Introduced previous to the enactment of rules for- 
bidding momentum plays. The quarter-back (1, in the diagram) first 
gave the signal, say, for the left half-back to run with the ball. 
Then having given this signal, and still before the ball was snapped, 
the quarter-back would call out, " Play ! " Even then the ball was 
not snapped, hence the opponents must still stay on side — that is, 
on their side of the ball. Meantime, at the word " Play," Woodruff's 
left-end and left-tackle started quickly on the full run, and, holding 
together, passed at full speed behind the quarter-back, gathering into 
their group as they passed the full-back and right half-back, who 
started, too, and these four abreast would strike the opponents' left 
flank with great force and swing (the dotted circles in the diagram 
indicating the secondary positions). While the first part of this was 
being done, the center-rush waited, and the ball was not put in play 
until this moving group of players were well across the middle. The 
center, or quarter, gaged this by counting three after calling out 
" Play," and at the next count the ball would come back and be 
passed to the left half-back (2, in the diagram), who ran out behind 
this massive but rapidly moving wall of men. " Guards-back " waa a 
later development of this same play. 

103 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 



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20 
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30 
39 
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60 
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30 
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9 



YOST'S FORWARD PASS AS USED BY MICHIGAN. 

To understand Mr. Yost's excellent planning it should be stated that the 
rules allow the player to throw the ball toward his opponents' goal under 
these restrictions : — that the player must be in the back field ; that his pass 
must not cross the line of scrimmage within five yards to one side or the 
other of the point where the ball was put into play ; that the ball must be 
caught by one of his own men, playing either on the end of the line or in the 
back field at the time when the ball was put in play. Schultz (1), the center) 
passed the ball to Wasmund (2), the quarter-back, who ran back diagonally 
a step or two and passed it further back to AUerdice (3), who had rim back 
diagonally about four yards when the ball was snapped, and who then laade 
a long pass to MacGoffin (5). Walker (4) was to block the opposing end. 
MacGofiin concealed himself behind Embs (6) so that he could swing around 
and run straight through the large gap, and be in position to receive AUer- 
dice's pass. Embs was to be seven yards from Schultz. The ball would 
cross the line within the five-yard limit, only if the play were considerably 
hurried, for this would cause Wasmund to pass to AUerdice without a stop, 
and AUerdice to be drawn toward Wasmund instead of moving backward 
before passing. This would not give MacGoflln time to get in proper posi- 
tion. Otherwise the pass should go clear. The dotted circles indicate the 
secondary position of the players. 

104 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

has usually been specially marked for brilliancy 
of individual performance. The detail and devel- 
opment of plays is interesting, and few spectators 
realize the difficulties and discouragements in- 
volved in making these advances. 

CALL FOB MORE OPEN PLAY 

But to return to the development of the play 
through rules. From the time of the enactment 
of the old five-yard rule, brought about by the 
closeness of formations in play, up to a few years 
ago the game had been gradually acquiring ele- 
ments of the same old style of mass play. This 
was true despite legislation which, while forbid- 
ding certain groupings of men, only temporized 
with the situation. A real revulsion of sentiment 
was needed to bring about another increase of this 
distance. This came, and at once and of necessity 
it threw upon the players themselves the burden 
of opening the play. That upheaval came from 
the public, and it forced the enactment of the ten- 
yard rule. This doubled the distance to be gained, 
and in the twinkling of an eye mass plays became 
a thing of the past, not to be resurrected for 
some three years when coaches discovered that 
the fear of the perfected forward pass made them 
once more profitable, just as the old '' block '* 
game had fallen before the five-yard distance. 

107 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

OLD FOOT-BALL SUCCUMBS TO THE NEW 

The year 1905 was the first year of this ** new 
foot-ball," as it was called; that is, the introduc- 
tion of the ten-yard rule, the forward pass, and the 
on-side kick. It was indeed new foOt-ball, strange 
enough to players and coaches alike. To say that 
there was much thought expended upon the possi- 
bilities of these new rules is to put it mildly. 
Every one was at sea, and while the rules com- 
mittee was confident that the new legislation 
would render the game far better and more at- 
tractive, there was naturally great opposition 
from former players, and an immense variety of 
opinions was heard as to how the new code would 
work out in actual play. Indeed, there was almost 
as great a divergence of opinion among the 
coaches as to which of the changes offered the 
greatest possibilities. Some contended that a 
team developed along the old lines would put to 
rout any team that wasted time upon the " new- 
fangled notions." Two teams, Dartmouth and 
Syracuse, were among the number that stuck to 
the old-fashioned foot-ball in spite of the ten-yard 
restriction. The Dartmouth coach published an 
interview voicing his sentiments upon this point, 
and it should be remembered that he had been one 
of the most successful of the coaches in the pre- 

108 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

ceding year. At Yale, tlie forward pass attracted 
the most attention, while at Princeton the on-side 
kick, it was believed, contained the elements of 
the greatest ground-gaining possibilities. At 
Harvard, Mr. Eeid was working zealously upon 
both lines of attack, making experiments and 
noting results. 

PLAY IN" A CHAOTIC STATE 

Thus October opened with affairs in a more or 
less chaotic state, no one sure of his ground and 
every one watching intently for the first indica- 
tions of some organized play that should prove 
the germ of a real ground-gaining attack. The 
writer had the pleasure of journeying to Prince- 
ton with Mr. Eeid to see Princeton play her open- 
ing game. We sat with Mr. Fine of Princeton, 
and it is needless to say that all three watched 
with the greatest interest the first attempts at the 
use of the new code. Some of the forward passes 
were very successful, but they appeared to depend 
more largely upon the disorganized condition of 
the defense than upon the execution of the play 
itself, and the throw passed perilously near the 
five-yard limit from the center, which in itself 
would have vitiated the play. But Princeton was 
open to conviction, and continued to try out the 
on-side kick and the forward pass. The next op- 

109 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

portunity for the attainment of real knowledge 
came when Syracuse met Yale at New Haven. 
The writer had just talked with Dr. Hutchins, who 
had been in charge of Syracuse the previous sea- 
son, and who assured him that Syracuse was very 
strong. In fact, this was in the early days of the 
mighty Horr, a perfect giant of a man, and others 
who made up an imposing array for the New 
York State team. But Syracuse had stuck to old- 
fashioned foot-ball, and the game proved a revela- 
tion to them as well as to the spectators, for Yale 
ran up an appalling score by the use of new foot- 
ball, making some fifty-odd points, while Syracuse 
failed to score. It should be added here that the 
adoption of new foot-ball began at once at Syra- 
cuse, and so well was it carried out that Syracuse 
defeated West Point at the end of that same sea- 
son and has been a dangerous factor ever since. 
It was Dartmouth's turn next to receive new light 
on the theory of old foot-ball versus new. Th@ 
Hanover team went to Princeton, and in spite of 
its power and force at plunging formations, was 
defeated by more than forty points. Those two 
games virtually settled all issues between the two 
schools of foot-ball, and every one hastened to 
plunge into the mysteries of the new regime. The 
Indians proved in the early season the most 
adaptable, and simply " played " with Pennsyl- 

110 




a: w 
>■ 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

vania, a lesson which the team of the Quaker City- 
took so to heart that Pennsylvania has ever since 
been among the foremost in developing the new 
game, and has upheld Eastern foot-ball by her 
defeats of Michigan. 

THE DEFENSE SUCCESSFULLY MEETS NEW ATTACK 

But it was not all plain sailing even for those 
who had been so ready to adopt the new style. It 
was easy enough to defeat a team that had paid 
no attention to the forward pass or on-side kick, 
but it was a far different proposition when it came 
to a game between teams both using the new plays. 
Soon the defense began to be heard from. On 
some fields the second eleven had learned their 
lessons so well that they quickly anticipated the 
attack of the Varsity, and scores became less fre- 
quent. The forward pass was smothered by the 
alertness of the defense, and the on-side kick was 
accurately judged and taken by the defense. As 
in a later game the Indians found the on-side kick 
of Harlan, Princeton's half-back and Princeton's 
watchful defense to the Indians' forward pass, 
altogether too much for them, so many other 
teams which at first had scored easily, found the 
problems of attack were being readily solved by 
the defense. Then came a chapter of worriment 
for the coaches of the big teams. Old players be- 

113 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

gan once more to say : " I told you so. Under the 
new rules two teams equally matched cannot 
score." But the rules were there and there to 
stay, and active coaches could not merely sit down 
and fold their hands. At Yale use was made of 
the freshman team for trying out plays and many 
experiments were made with the 'varsity. The 
greatest work was expended along the line of the 
forward pass, in the belief that in such a play 
lay the yet undiscovered germ of victory. But 
time was slipping by, and all had been hazarded 
upon that one belief. Thus far nothing had come 
of it save the simple forward pass over the corner 
of the line which all teams were using, and which 
the defense was solving better and better every 
day. The case really began to look desperate, and 
was not rendered any the less worrying by the 
fact that many believed that more time wasted 
over the experiments would be fatal. 

NEW IDEA FOE DELATIN"G THE PASS 

One night while studying over the problem of 
how to get men down the field in a position to take 
a longer forward pass, the thought suggested it- 
self, '^ Why not let the full-back take up a posi- 
tion as if to kick, and then, as soon as the ball was 
passed to him, let him run directly back toward 
his own goal, say five or even ten yards, and turn 

114 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

and throw the ball? " The time elapsing while 
he was thus running back would allow the ends 
and possibly a half-back or a tackle, if the end 
was dropped back, just so many more seconds to 
run down the field, whereas if the pass were made 
from the full-back's usual position, these men 
could get only a short distance down the field be- 
fore the ball was thrown. It was really from this 
first step that there came the development of the 
play that won for Yale her Harvard game that 
year, and the play that was later given to Annap- 
olis by a coach who went down there directly 
after the Harvard game, and by means of which 
Annapolis scored the touch-down against West 
Point. But this is anticipating, for the play, when 
finally developed, bore little relation in appear- 
ance to this first crude attempt. In trying the play 
out, it became at once apparent that the mere 
sight of the full-back thus running back, an un- 
usual proceeding, would put the defense on its 
guard at once, and then backs and probably ends 
would retreat also. Hence the problem was to find 
a means of securing the same amount of elapsed 
time before the ball was passed and yet not 
make patent to the defense that such a pass was 
coming. 



115 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

ADDITIONAL DECEPTION IN THE PLAY 

This was solved by the pretense of a try-at-goal 
from a drop-kick or kick from placement. Such 
a move was sure to draw the line of the opponents, 
but the time thus taken up was only half as long 
as necessary. Hence a second '' fake," so-called, 
was added to this first movement. As soon as the 
ball came back, Veeder, the Yale back and drop- 
kicker, who had been apparently preparing for a 
drop-kick and getting his line, started on a wide- 
swinging end run, as if the whole affair had been 
a deception to draw the end rusher in, so that he, 
Veeder, might run clear out around that end. 
Now, it can easily be seen that the time taken up 
in the pass back from the center, plus the time 
taken up by Veeder in running out toward the end, 
would be considerable and would give the Yale 
ends, Alcott and Forbes, time to run a long dis- 
tance down the field. Then when Veeder had run 
a considerable distance out, he passed a long, high 
throw down the field to Alcott. It developed that 
even more men than Alcott, also eligible to receive 
the pass, could reach the point determined upon. 

PLAY APPAEENTLY A JOKE 

Now, the strangest thing of all was that to the 
team itself this play, when first tried, looked so 

116 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

silly that it was dubbed the '' Twenty- three " 
play, and that was the signal used for a time to 
indicate the procedure. Still, it was carried on 
only in secret practice, for the very principle it 
contained was enough to be suggestive. At the 
time of the Harvard-Indian game, which was 
while this play was still in embryo so far as its 
perfected form was concerned, the writer went up 
to Harvard to see that contest. There he again 
met Mr. Eeid, who was somewhat discouraged as 
to the possibilities of getting anything more out 
of the forward pass than the one already men- 
tioned over the end of the rush-line. The writer, 
while not fully hopeful, said that he believed there 
was still more in it. The play was further worked 
upon and tested in a simple form in the Princeton 
game. The writer's nephew overheard a conver- 
sation between two older enthusiasts on the way 
home from that contest which gives some idea of 
how the play worked in its crude form. 

' ' Why, ' ' said one, ' ' I didn 't care much for the 
Yale team. They didn't seem to know what they 
were going to do. I saw a man actually start to 
make a kick, then try to run with the ball, and 
finally toss it ' any old place ' down the field." 



117 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

FIlSrAL POLISHING AND SUCCESS 

The final step in perfecting the play came in 
having Veeder run out rather more parallel to 
the scrimmage-line, and thus get a little farther 
out. The object of this was still further to deceive 
and draw out of position the man in the back field, 
the half-back. This will be appreciated by play- 
ers. The man in that position being rather 
farther back than usual after the play started, 
hesitated to come up ; but when he saw the man 
with the ball actually outside the defensive end, 
it was difficult for him not to believe that his end 
had been actually circled by the runner, or at least 
was in imminent danger of being circled, and it 
was therefore obligatory upon him to come up. 
This proved to be the case in practice. The play 
was smoothed out, and Veeder perfected himself 
in the whole series of moves. What Yale then 
waited for in the Harvard game was to reach a 
point near enough to the Harvard goal to make it 
seem a probable play to have "Veeder try a field 
at the goal. Anywhere within forty yards or so 
was sufficient. The opportunity came, the signal 
was given, and all went as it was planned. The 
Harvard team moved in the proper grooves, and 
when Veeder launched his pass for the first time, 
there was no one near Alcott, who was only a few 

118 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

yards from the Harvard goal-line. In fact, it was 
that very great opportunity for an immediate 
touch-down that led to temporary failure, for Al- 
cott was so eager to go over the line with the ball 
that he fumbled it. But once set in this position, 
with Harvard kicking out, it was simply a ques- 
tion of time, and the play was soon repeated. Al- 
cott this time, while not so free, caught the ball 
cleanly, thus giving Yale a first down so close to 
the Harvard goal that two plays sent the ball over 
for a victory won purely upon the perfecting of 
the possibilities of the long forward pass. 

THE FUTURE OF NEW FOOT-BALL 

To gather any very definite idea of what foot- 
ball is to be like under the new rules requires con- 
siderable study, as has already been proven, in 
the case of officials, captains, players, and in fact 
all who are practically interested in the matter. 
The majority of the legislation passed, except that 
relating to the forward pass, however difficult it 
may be to put in execution, is fairly clear in its 
statements. Hence it is simplest to take up the 
comparatively clear parts first and note their ef- 
fect on the game. The quarter-back, or man who 
first receives the ball when snapped back in the 
scrimmage, is no longer obliged if he runs with 
the ball to cross that line of scrimmage at least 

119 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

5 yards out from tlie center. He may now plunge 
directly through, the middle of the line, or cross 
if at any point where he has an opportunity. This 
means that the defense must be more watchful, 
and also means that the offensive team has prac- 
tically four backs. The ball may not be snapped 
directly to either of the men standing on the line 
of scrimmage next to the snapper back. 

This legislation is working around in a circle 
as has a good deal of other law making. Twenty- 
five years ago, or so, the quarter-back was privi- 
leged to run with the ball exactly as he is now 
under the Eules of 1910, but after he had been 
dropped on by a big line-man of the opposing side, 
and particularly after there had been one or two 
experiences of games being played in the rain and 
in the mud where these same opponents were ac- 
cused of attempting to drown the quarter-back, the 
rules were changed and he was forbidden to run 
with the ball across the line of scrimmage at all. 
This lasted for many years, when finally a privi- 
lege was once more accorded t» him to carry the 
ball forward provided, as stated above, he crossed 
the scrimmage-line at least five yards out from 
the center. Now, here we are in 1910 having 
swung entirely around the circle, back to the orig- 
inal starting point. 

The removal of these restrictions, and the re- 
120 



THE NEW] FOOT -BALL 

moval of similar restrictions regarding the for- 
ward pass crossing the line of scrimmage, has ren- 
dered it unnecessary any longer to mark the field 
with the longitudinal lines, so that the field once 
more takes on the old aspect of the gridiron. 

While formerly a player who had been removed 
from the game could not come back to participa- 
tion, a rule has been made this year allowing such 
a player (provided, of course, he had not been dis- 
qualified or suspended by an official) to return to 
the game once at the beginning of any subsequent 
period. There seems to be a variety of opinion 
about this rule, but it is clear enough. The object 
of those who advocated the rule was to save a 
player when there was doubt about his condition 
by taking him out, and then if he proved all right 
sending him in again, as preferable to the methods 
employed by some teams of keeping a man in al- 
though he may have received a bad shaking up 
simply because no quite as an available substitute 
was on hand to take his place. It is generally 
believed by the supporters of this rule that it will 
work out as they think, and will be of consider- 
able advantage in lessening the danger of playing 
exhausted players too long. On the other hand, 
those who do not favor this feel that it will not 
operate as above, but quite the reverse, and 
further than this, that it may be abused. 

123 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

The game has been shortened so that the total 
playing time is now only an hour. The two halves 
of thirty minutes each are further subdivided 
again, so that the game now consists of four 
periods of 15 minutes each. The usual 15 min- 
utes intermission is allowed between the second 
and third periods, but between the first and sec- 
ond and third and fourth, the teams will not be 
permitted to leave the field, and while the goals 
will be changed, the ball will be placed at the same 
relative position in the field, the down and point 
to be gained remaining the same as when time was 
called. Furthermore, the time allowed will be but 
three minutes, and during that time only the offi- 
cial representative who looks after the physical 
condition of the players will be allowed to go 
upon the field. 

It is hoped by this means to still further reduce 
the danger of exhaustion and injuries on account 
of that exhaustion. Those who prefer the old time 
are quite sure that this division will work detri- 
mentally, that players will exhaust themselves 
just as much, and that the three minutes is not 
more than the captain can call for at any time. 
Furthermore, that this change of goals every 15 
minutes will prevent any team from carrying on 
a consistent play, and that this break will make 
the game more of a coach's game than ever. 

124 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

Crawling has been forbidden. By crawling is 
meant any attempt to advance the ball by the run- 
ner after the ball has been declared dead. This 
is another rule enacted in the interest of safety, 
because the little, plucky runner in the past has 
very often been put to take the last inch towards 
his opponents' goal, and the opponents, realizing 
that in some cases inches are of the utmost im- 
portance, have dropped on the runner when he 
was endeavoring to do this ; hence with crawling 
forbidden, and a penalty attached, it is hoped that 
this will be prevented. 

A rule has been made compelling the side hav- 
ing possession of the ball to place at least seven 
men on the line of scrimmage when the ball is put 
in play. This is not as great a change as many 
people seem to believe, for by the rules of last 
year and for some seasons past, if there were not 
seven men on the line, there must be at least six, 
and the seventh man must keep a position outside 
of the outside foot of the man on the end of the 
line. However, this will prevent such dropping 
back of the end as was sometimes practiced al- 
though, it must be confessed, not very effectu- 
ally last year. A man is not considered on the 
line of scrimmage unless he is within one foot 
of it. 

But the most important legislation of all is that 

125 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

forbidding the player on the side in possession of 
the ball to make use of his hands, arms or body 
to push, pull or hold upon his feet the player car- 
rying the ball, and also the prohibition of inter- 
locked interference, — that is, the players of the 
side having the ball holding on to each other in 
any way, either by encircling with the arm, or 
seizing with the hand, or any other method. 

To those educated in foot-ball in the last decade 
this is an innovation indeed, and no one can tell 
how it may work out. The advocates of the rule 
are sure that it will solve the problem of injuries, 
iand that there will be no more pounding of tackle 
which proved so serious last year. The opponents 
of the rule say that an unprotected and unsup- 
ported back-field man meeting unaided by push- 
ers holding on to him or protecting him from the 
sides and behind will be unable, if he does much 
of any running, to last out the game because he 
will be met by big heavy line-men, and driven back 
with extreme force, and that the very fact of the 
backs having so much to do, and being less phys- 
ically qualified for hammering than the line-men, 
will mean a much more serious exhaustion for 
them. 

Forbidding of locked interference seems to 
have met with general approval and will certainly 
do away with having mass plays. 

126 




< 0\ 



S-P. 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

Flying tackles have been prohibited. This rule 
has given rise to a great deal of discussion, for 
although the intent was good, there is a very wide 
divergency of opinion as to just in what consists 
the danger in tackling, and probably the reason 
why flying tackles came to be regarded as danger- 
ous was from actual experience, but in many 
cases the actual experience might mean a man 
undertaking to tackle in some unusual way, or 
unusual position, and meeting with an injury. 
The difficulty in ruling will be that the prohibition 
is defined as follows : '* A player in tackling must 
have at least one foot on the ground." If a man, 
therefore, is endeavoring to go around an end, 
and a half-back is running at full speed to reach 
him, it is going to be a very difficult question as 
to what will happen, for we all know that a man 
running at speed has both feet off the ground at 
once, and if it is a close thing, even the half-back 
must tackle when he is on the run, or lose his man 
if he stops. 

But none of these rules offer any difficulties at 
all compared with the rule regarding forward 
pass, which applies also to the kick. This rule 
reads as follows: 

Section 2. No player of either side while in the 
act of catching a forward pass shall be tackled, 
thrown, pushed, pulled, shouldered or straight- 

129 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

armed until he shall have caught the ball and 
taken more than one step in any direction, pro- 
vided that any such interference which is inci- 
dental to a bona fide attempt to catch or inter- 
cept the pass shall not come within this prohibi- 
tion. 

The above section is the most vital in the rule, 
and it is upon the basis of this protection offered 
the man who is to receive the pass that the play 
is likely to develop. But the difficulties surround- 
ing such protection presented themselves to the 
Eules Committee as soon as they endeavored to 
work out a practical plan. In the first place, in- 
terference is the keynote of the American game, 
and interference means preceding the runner with 
the ball by another team-mate who, in the ordi- 
nary course of events, pushes out of the way or 
interferes with would be tacklers of the man car- 
rying the ball. Such a man may be close in front 
of the runner, or he may precede him a very con- 
siderable distance. Now, unfortunately, for any 
simple plan, this interferer was the most likely 
man to receive the forward pass, the runner toss- 
ing the ball to him just as he found himself likely 
to be stopped. If, therefore, it was made a foul 
to run into this interferer because, perchance, he 
might receive a forward pass, it also opened the 
way for the man to continue as an interferer, and 

130 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

the would-be tackier being obliged to avoid him 
would have little chance to get at the runner. 
Hence the complications surrounding the situa- 
tion. Whether it has been solved by the new rules 
time alone can tell, but the best step in this direc- 
tion was the one compelling the man who makes 
a forward pass across the line of scrimmage to 
be at least 5 yards back of that line of scrimmage 
when he makes the pass. As the same conditions 
regarding interference obtain when a man is ma- 
king a kick, it is not necessary to legislate that the 
kicker also should be at least 5 yards back; in 
other words, that the kicker might not run out as 
though he were going to circle the end and then 
suddenly kick the ball. This would offer compli- 
cations in case of instead of kicking he made a 
forward pass, and thus it seemed wise to make 
the same restrictions as governed the latter. But 
this step led to still another. Every-one who 
knows modern American Intercollegiate foot-ball 
understands the former play of an end-rusher on 
a kick. He was the most important factor, for he 
would run down the field under a kick and en- 
deavor to prevent the catcher from running the 
ball back, and a good end became very expert in 
this kind of work. It therefore devolved upon the 
side receiving that kick to prevent by all legiti- 
mate means this end from getting down the field. 

131 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

One man was always detailed to stop Mm, and in 
the case of a remarkably good end it was not un- 
usual to set two men at the task of impeding his 
progress. But under the new rules introducing 
the forward pass this end was a very likely man 
to receive the forward pass and naturally the op- 
ponents, if they were forbidden to run into him or 
interfere with him on a forward pass, must like- 
wise be forbidden to run into or interfere with 
him on a kick. Hence we shall see this season 
a very extraordinary condition of the ends going 
down the field under a kick immune from any im- 
peding by opponents until they have gone at least 
20 yards. It looks now as though it would take 
remarkable agility on the part of the man re- 
ceiving the kick if he is to stand any chance of 
making a good run back up the field. Just how 
this provision will affect the on-side kick no one 
can tell until the season has had time enough to 
develop. The provision making it necessary for 
a kicked ball to go twenty yards before it is con- 
sidered an on-side kick, that is, before it puts the 
kicker's side on-side, would tend almost inevitably 
to limit very much the scope of this play. On the 
other hand, this provision that gives a 20 yard 
clean zone of protection for the ends would give 
them a far better chance to get down to an on- 
side kick than they ever had under the old ruling, 

132 



THE NEW FOOT -BALL 

Hence it may be that clever coaches will be able 
to work up this play to a point of effective execu- 
tion. 

Up to this writing, the first and most prominent 
effect of the introduction of the new rules has 
been to shorten the vacation of the players on 
several of the big teams. Harvard and Annapolis 
got squads together as early as the first of Sep- 
tember, and most of the teams had men back by 
the 15th. Much of this summer practice may be 
deprecated, and great as the relief was when it 
was brought to a minimum as it was in the last 
five or six years, it is only fair to admit that with 
such vital changes as have been made in the sea- 
son of 1910 a certain amount of preliminary work 
was essential in case injuries are to be avoided. 
This is true from the very nature of the rules 
themselves, for men who have not had a week or 
two of conditioning at least could certainly never 
undertake to play in the back field of a team under 
the modern rules, for to go up without any push- 
ing and pulling and buck the line would be too 
severe a task to ask of any back who was not in 
pretty fair shape. 

The officials are likely to have the hardest time 
of all, for their work has been multiplied, and it 
will indeed be an argus-eyed man who can watch 
all the points necessary. At first it is likely to 

136 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

prove confusing, but it is the hope that as players 
become accustomed to the rules, and the officials 
to watching the play under the new conditions, 
matters will simplify themselves considerably. 



136 



CHAPTER IV 

PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

PERSONALITY will be a great feature in the 
new game just as it has always been in any 
well known progress in this sport. In 1875 an 
attempt was made to reconcile a game in which 
the ball could be batted but not carried and the 
player could not be tackled with real Rugby, a 
sport in which the player could be tackled and 
the ball could be carried but not batted. Harvard 
defeated Yale under this compromise some six 
goals to nothing, and this paved the way for the 
introduction of Rugby union rules. 

FIRST AMERICAIT INTEECOLLEGIATE EUGBY POOT-BALL 

In the autumn of 1876 the first real Rugby con- 
test took place between elevens from Harvard and 
Yale. From that beginning, progress was rapid 
both in development of play and increase of gen- 
eral interest. Up to that time few besides the 
players and would-be candidates manifested any 
desire to witness the games; but in the next 
decade public interest increased amazingly. The 

137 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

game took on organized methods, individual play- 
ers became known for their prowess, and the be- 
ginnings of marked " hero-worship " of promi- 
nent players could be noted. 

But Rugby foot-ball had a kind of inherited 
right to that feature, for its very beginning, as 
marked by a tablet in Eugby School, came from 
the independence and initiative of one William 
Webb Ellis, who, little knowing how much was to 
follow, broke in upon the established custom of 
foot-ball as then played by one day seizing the ball 
in his hands and running with it. 

Thus the bold Ellis became the pioneer of the 
adventurous spirits of Rugby foot-ball and blazed 
the trail for a new branch of the time-honored 
sport which even hundreds of years before his day 
had been met with rebuffs. 

A professor in an American university said a 
few years ago : ' '■ The boys are trained to consider 
as the hero not the moral champion nor a mental 
expert, but the successful tackier or the heavy 
rusher. ' ' Three hundred and twenty years before 
him, in 1583, Stubbs wrote of foot-ball : ' * A bloody 
and murthering practice . . . and he that can 
serve the most of this fashion he is counted the 
only felow and who but he! " 

Fifty years before him, in 1531, Sir Thomas 
Elyot wrote: " Foote Balle, wherein is nothinge 

138 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

but beastly furie and extreme violence "; and a 
hundred years before that, in 1424, a proclamation 
of King Henry VI was issued which ran: *' The 
King forbiddes that na man play at the fut ball 
under the payne of iiiid." 

Does not the fact that these successive criti- 
cisms and even edicts failed to stop the game sug- 
gest serious consideration of what gives it this 
astonishing vitality? 

boys' standakds 
Are the boys trained to set up a false standard 
of hero-worship? Is it not possible that nature 
has implanted in the boy an admiration for the 
example of physical prowess rather than for what 
we are pleased to call the moral champion or the 
mental expert, and that nature has for all these 
hundreds of years laughed at the attempts to 
change that boyish standard? Dr. Lambeth has 
said that ^' The boy intellectual is only a small 
part of the whole boy," and so far as I can con- 
strue the evidence. Dr. Lambeth is right. An 
Englishman, writing of the many vain attempts 
to change boy nature, concludes his article with 
the words, " It is a fearful responsibility to be 
young, and none can bear it like their elders." Is 
it not the part of wisdom to recognize these con- 
ditions, which hundreds of years and thousands 

139 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

of boys have sliown to exist, and, instead of be- 
moaning the fact that youth is bound to set up 
physical standards rather than mental ones, to 
keep those standards and to merge them with the 
moral? If we teach him to play, we have some 
chance to teach him fair play, and as the very 
essence of his training for his games is physical 
and moral cleanliness, so we are helping him 
along that road by showing him that the best ath- 
lete is the moral athlete. Moreover, in his game 
he learns obedience to authority, even though it 
be only that of his own chosen captain ; he learns 
discipline, even though it be only that which is set 
up by his fellows. All our schools have learned 
that the best government is that in which the 
higher-form boys take the major part, and into 
that government enters as a large factor the very 
hero-worship of the small boy for the big boy — 
the would-be athlete for the school standard- 
bearer in sport. 

So, on the whole, it is not entirely bad that there 
should be these stars in athletics, for most of them 
acquire their shining qualities through a clean 
life, practical self-denial, discipline, obedience, un- 
murmuring pluck, and a good deal of patience. 

The one thing that the college does for a boy is 
to take the conceit out of him ; indeed, it may be 
doubted whether it does not go a bit too far in this 

140 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT - BALL 

direction. Surely the honors of the gridiron are 
not likely to be mistaken for eternal fame in the 
life that succeeds the undergraduate days, and 
meanwhile the pursuit of these honors has trained 
faculties that go far to make the successful man. 
With this as an apology or explanation, let me 
recount some of these exploits. 

LEE MO CLUNG 

The man who, by consistency and repetition of 
performance, made the greatest contribution to 
the attack in foot-ball of all the early players was 
Lee McClung, at that time a student from Knox- 
ville, who became captain of the Yale 'varsity 
team, and has recently been promoted from the 
treasurership of Yale to that of the United States. 
His contribution was in the nature of the turning 
run outside the tackle. I happen to have in my 
possession the graphic scoring of the game in 
which he made these brilliant runs in the Prince- 
ton game at Eastern Park, Brooklyn. The play 
by means of which those runs were started will be 
instantly recognized by the players of that day 
and by those of several later teams at Yale as the 
*' Twenty- thirty " play, the numbers between 
twenty and thirty being used as signals for it. It 
seems simple enough in these days of more com- 
plicated plays, but there has never been a man 

141 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

quite so well adapted to execute it as McClung. 
He was essentially a dodging runner, and in his 
early foot-ball days would repeatedly be caught 
from behind, because he was not particularly fast. 
But when by practice he had succeeded in increas- 
ing his speed, he came to his own in marvelous 
fashion. In this play he would start as if about to 
circle the end, and then, after almost reaching the 
opposing end-player, would shoot so easily and 
yet so suddenly in toward tackle that the end 
would almost close his arms upon the empty air 
or shoot headlong where he thought McClung 
should be. Nor was that all. Once started 
through this opening, McClung would go zigzag- 
ging or, rather, swaying down the field, threading 
his way in bewildering fashion through what 
looked to be certain tacklers. And yet a line 
drawn from the point where he first made his turn 
down to the end of his run or his touch-down 
would prove almost a straight line. This he ac- 
complished by swinging his upper body from his 
hips, while his feet preserved very nearly a 
straight line. The scorings, shown in these few 
plays of this game, just as they were jotted down 
in my note-book play for play, as the game was 
in progress, indicate five runs by McClung, gain- 
ing ninety-nine yards and making two touch- 
downs. Twenty-nine thousand, eight hundred 

142 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

people, a very large crowd for those days, watched 
this game from the stands in Eastern Park and 
saw Yale win by a score of 32 to 0, a result very 
largely attributable to the sensational running of 
this man alone. 

Princeton's stars 

But for brilliancy of individual effort no teams 
have produced so many stars as the elevens from 
Princeton. From the days of Dodge and McNair, 
Moffat and Hector Cowan, Ames and Lamar, 
down through the Poes, King, Suter, DeWitt, and 
a host of others, every few years there has been 
a Princeton man who has performed some ex- 
traordinary deed that has snatched victory from 
the very jaws of defeat. The two deeds of Arthur 
Poe and, later, of DeWitt, are typical of this. 

ARTHUR POE 

Arthur Poe was essentially the type of the 
emergency man. He was the man always on the 
spot when needed. He entered Princeton in the 
fall of 1896 as a member of the class of 1900. He 
played substitute quarter-back once during that 
year. The following year he played in the Frank- 
lin-Marshall game, and although that was the only 
game he played during that year, he secured a 
touch-down in the second half. 

145 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

In 1898 he was the regular right end and played 
in a majority of the games, securing a touch-down 
in the Brown game. On November 12, Princeton 
met Yale. Yale proved the stronger in the run- 
ning game, and three times carried the ball up to 
the Princeton thirty-yard line, only to lose it on 
downs. Finally Yale carried it inside the ten- 
yard line. There the signal was given for Durs- 
ton, who was playing in the back field with Ben- 
jamin and McBride, to go around into the line, 
and the mass started toward Princeton's goal, 
when suddenly Poe broke out from that mass with 
the ball in his arms and ran the entire length of 
the field for a touch-down, which Ayres of Prince- 
ton converted into a goal, making the score 6 to 
in Princeton's favor. Once more Benjamin, 
Durston, and McBride in the second half carried 
the ball down within Princeton's twenty-yard line, 
McBride having the ball, when once more from the 
mass Poe emerged with the ball and ran the entire 
length of the field. The touch-down was not al- 
lowed, however, as the referee had called the ball 
down in McBride 's hands before Poe secured it. 

The following year Poe played right end 
throughout the season, occupying that position on 
November 25, when Princeton came to New Haven 
for the game with Yale. The contest was ex- 
tremely exciting, the two sides being evenly 

146 



PEESONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

matched. Eeiter on a long ran carried the ball 
almost to Yale's goal-line, and on the third try put 
the ball over. Wheeler converted the touch-down 
into a goal, making the score 6 to in Princeton's 
favor. Yale then forced Princeton, and Wheeler, 
endeavoring to kick out from his ten-yard line, had 
his kick blocked by Brown, McBride, the Yale 
captain, falling on the ball for a touch-down. 

When the game was resumed, Yale had the ball 
on Princeton's forty-yard line and Sharpe of Yale 
dropped back for a try at a field goal, which 
proved successful, thus putting Yale in the lead. 
The game continued in this way until there were 
only two or three minutes left to play. At this 
period Yale had the ball on its forty-yard line. A 
fumble resulted in Princeton securing the ball, 
but it looked absolutely hopeless, with less than a 
minute to play, and the ball still thirty yards from 
the Yale goal-line. Princeton lined up for another 
running play, but, as a last desperate chance, a 
suggestion was made that Poe should try for a 
drop-kick. 

One of Princeton's strategists tells me that Poe 
was only a fair drop-kicker, no better than the 
ordinary lot usually found in a squad, and his se- 
lection for the play was more for his reliability 
and steadiness in critical positions than for any 
other reason. However, with a little more than 

147 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

thirty seconds left to play he was dropped back, 
the ball was passed to him, and he sent it sailing 
over Yale's goal, thus winning the game. 

This young man's exploits have been sung in a 
Princeton book of poems. 

& never mortale Manne shall knowe 
How ye Thynge came aboute — 
But from yt close-pressed Masse of Menne 
Ye Feete Balle poppeth oute! 

& Poe hath rushed within ye Breache — 
Towards Erthe one Second kneeled, — 
He tuckes ye Balle benethe hys Arme, 
& Saunteres down ye Fielde. 

Ye Elis tear in fierce pursuite; 

But Poe Eludes yem alle ; 

He rushes 'twixt ye quyverrynge Postes 

& sytteth on ye Balle. 

But Arthur Poe hathe kyckt ye balle 
(Oh woefuUe, woefuUe Daye !) 
As straighte as myghte Dewey's Gunnes 
Upon ye fyrste of Maye. 

JOHIT DE WITT 

The record made by DeWitt of Princeton for 
effectiveness in scoring with both kick and run has 
never been equaled by a line-man. In 1902 he 
scored all the points that were made by his team 
not only against Yale, but also against Cornell. 
In the Cornell game this resulted in a victory for 

148 



PEESONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

Ms team by a score of 10 to through his two 
drop-kicks. In the following year his play in the 
Yale game proved quite as effective, and deserves 
more detailed consideration. The two teams were 
fairly well matched, but it was not long before 
Yale's attack proved the stronger, and they se- 
cured a touch-down and a goal. Then they pro- 
ceeded carefully down to the goal again. Here 
while in the very act of threatening the goal they 
were penalized, and Mitchell, the Yale kicker, then 
dropped back for a drop-kick at goal. It was a 
comparatively short kick, and there was no one 
in that throng probably that felt for a moment any 
trepidation about Yale. They knew that Mitchell 
might miss the kick, but yet the ball was in 
front of Princeton's goal, and Yale minds were 
easy. But in the twinkling of an eye a most start- 
ling change came about. Mitchell caught the ball 
rather slowly, and DeWitt, breaking through the 
line, sprang in front of the ball just at the moment 
that Mitchell kicked. The ball shot up in the air 
and back over Mitchell's head. At the same time 
DeWitt, with the impetus acquired, passed Mitch- 
ell, and, the ball bounding up into his hands, he 
started yards ahead of any of his pursuers and 
ran the length of the field for a touch-down, from 
which the goal was kicked. Thus in a few seconds 
the apparent advantage of Yale was turned into 

151 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

a goal for Princeton, and the score was tied 6 to 
6. Yale forced the play once more, but could not 
succeed in getting another score, and it looked as 
though the game would result in a tie. Princeton 
made a desperate attempt at a drop-kick from the 
right-hand side of the field at a bad angle, DeWitt 
getting off a poor kick which was partly blocked 
by the Yale forwards, the ball not even crossing 
the goal-line, and Yale falling on it just outside 
the goal. Bowman of Yale, who had replaced 
Mitchell at back, kicked out, the ball falling at the 
forty-five-yard line, where Princeton made a fair 
catch. Then the hearts of the spectators were in 
their throats once more, for it was seen at once 
that DeWitt would try for a place-kick goal. 
Carefully he sighted the ball, and in another mo- 
ment stepped up and shot it with unerring aim a 
good distance over the goal, scoring five more 
points, and winning the game 11 to 6. It is only 
fair to say that the following year Mitchell be- 
came one of the best kickers Yale has ever devel- 
oped and was largely instrumental in Yale's vic- 
tories. In fact, Mitchell might yield the palm only 
to Butterworth (who will always be remembered 
for his running as well) and Bull, an earlier drop- 
kicker famous in Yale's annals. 



152 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

GEORGE CHAD wick's RUNS 

Though DeWitt's remarkable achievements 
seem phenomenal when told in detail, on one occa- 
sion he was matched by Chadwick of Yale, the 
man who first demonstrated the immense possibil- 
ities of deceiving the opponents so that they them- 
selves would open the line for the opposing run- 
ner. 

There had been much speculation as to the rela- 
tive merits of the Yale and Princeton teams, 
neither having had a first-class organization the 
year before, but both promising a far better 
record for the season of 1902. DeWitt, famed far 
and near as a kicker, and really a giant in phy- 
sique, was the most promising man on either team. 
But in Henry and Davis as ends Princeton offered 
two men who had been " All- America material " 
the year before. Yale had, however, upon her 
team, certain men whose names were to become 
equally famous, among them Glass, the giant 
guard, Shevlin as end, and Chadwick, the Yale 
captain and half-back. 

The game began with Yale having the kick-off, 
Princeton having won the toss. Bowman of Yale 
kicked the ball down close to Princeton's goal, 
where McClave ran it back to Princeton's thirty- 
yard line. DeWitt was at once called upon for 

153 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

a kick, and lie sent the ball past the middle of the 
field into Yale's territory. It was secured by 
Yale, bnt on a second running play Yale fumbled, 
and Princeton secured the ball, carrying it fifteen 
yards farther into Yale's territory. After one 
running play, DeWitt was called upon for a drop- 
kick. This was from the fifty-yard line. Despite 
the desperate attempts of Yale to block the kick, 
he got the ball off well, and missed the goal only 
by inches. This set the Princeton stands wild 
with excitement and correspondingly depressed 
the Yale sympathizers, and had not a little effect 
upon the Yale players ; for a man who from the 
fifty-yard line misses one's goal only by inches is 
a dangerous factor in a foot-ball game. Bowman 
punted out to mid-field, where Princeton secured 
the ball, and DeWitt again dropped back for a 
kick ; but a poor pass spoiled his attempt. After 
a few exchanges, a fumble gave Princeton the ball 
between Yale's forty and forty-five yard line. 
Here DeWitt was sent back again for a kick, and 
standing just short of Yale's fifty-yard line, he 
sent the ball as true as a die over the goal-bar for 
the first score of the game, twelve minutes after 
time had been called, making Princeton 5 in the 
scoring of the day and Yale 0. 

The two teams changed sides, and it was easily 
apparent that the general crowd was so impressed 

154 





< ^ 




PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

with this kicking of DeWitt's that even the Yale 
partizans felt the case was desperate. As soon as 
the two teams lined up, Bowman kicked the ball 
off, and Princeton, although fumbling, recovered 
it on her fifteen-yard line. DeWitt was called 
upon at once to kick, and sent the ball to the mid- 
dle of the field. On the very next down a play 
that had been worked out during the season, and 
which was specially adapted to contingencies of 
the game on that day, was about to be used. The 
writer, on the side lines, recognized the signal, 
and waited with considerable anxiety to see 
whether the movement of the players would be 
according to his predictions. The ball was snapped 
and the play started. Almost instantly a gap 
opened in the Princeton line through a division 
of their own forces, and straight through this gap 
shot Chadwick, untouched, and carrying the ball. 
He had one man, the quarter-back, to pass. This 
man he side-stepped to the left, and went straight 
on to the goal for a touch-down, covering a dis- 
tance of fifty-seven yards. The goal was easily 
kicked, so that three minutes after Princeton's 
scoring a lead, the tables were turned, and Yale 
stood 6 to Princeton's 5. Nor was this the only 
time that Chadwick 's run was tried. It was 
brought off again in the latter part of the first 
half, and from the middle of the field, with the 

157 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

same formation. Once more he was sliot througih. 
the line, running half the length of the field for a 
second touch-down. There was no scoring in the 
second half, but these two individual runs by 
Chadwick had won the game for Yale. 

TIPTOF OF WEST POINT 

A West Point player named Tipton showed 
the possibilities of the dribbling kick suddenly in- 
troduced into a Rugby contest. His feat was one 
of the most striking instances of individual cool- 
ness backed by brains and was performed in the 
Army-Navy game played at Philadelphia on 
November 26, 1904. The two teams were probably 
as nearly matched as any two teams that have 
ever gone on the gridiron. The game had been in 
progress for ten minutes without any definite ad- 
vantage to either side when Torney, the West 
Point full-back, punted the ball to mid-field. 
Norton, the Navy quarter-back, endeavored to 
catch the ball, but fumbled it. Tipton, the Army 
center, a man of exceptional activity, after snap- 
ping the ball to Torney, followed the kick down 
the field, and with such rapidity as to be close 
to Norton when that unfortunate youth fumbled 
the ball. Having no time to pick up the ball, 
which rolled close to the ground, and seeing clear 
space in front of him while the Navy men were 

158 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

almost on him from behind, Tipton kicked the 
ball a half dozen times, following it and leaning 
over, ready to pick it up if the opportunity offered. 
Again the ball rolled, and the Navy men all coming 
close upon him, he kicked it again, and finally for 
the third time, sending it across the Navy's goal- 
line, where he fell upon it for a touch-down. This 
undoubtedly proved the turning-point of the game, 
for up to that time the Navy had held the contest 
within West Point's territory, but this touch-down 
of Tipton's gave West Point the score and also 
the benefit of the wind, and altered the entire as- 
pect of the game. Tipton's name was on every 
lip that night, and for several years thereafter 
the play was referred to and attempts at imitation 
were made. 

DAIiT OF HAEVABD 

The most brilliant individual performer that 
Harvard has placed upon the gridiron is un- 
questionably Daly, the quarter-back. His contri- 
bution was, however, more of a general nature. 
It is difficult in the case of this young man to pick 
out particular games and startling incidents, be- 
cause he was almost always doing something that 
was above the ordinary. Moreover, the credit for 
his work is divided between Harvard and West 
Point, for probably his most brilliant run was 

159 . 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

made when, representing West Point, he virtually 
ran through the entire field of Navy tacklers for 
a touch-down. When he secured the ball he was a 
little to the left of the center of the field and well 
into West Point's territory. His first step or two 
was dodging the first man, and then he started 
a little on the diagonal toward the center, which 
drew some of the Navy men in that direction. 
Thereupon making a light turn, he headed down 
the field, and was never stopped. 

For Harvard his recoveries in the face of ad- 
verse conditions were perhaps the most remark- 
able of all. There is hardly any better demonstra- 
tion of that than the game with Pennsylvania when 
the Harvard center passed the ball back over 
Daly's head not once, but even three times when 
Daly was back for the punt. It was so far over 
his head that Daly was obliged to turn and run 
for the ball, and yet in every case he secured the 
ball, dodged his man, and got in his kick. 

And that brings us to still another point of 
Daly's ability, which was his excellent kicking. 
For a small man he secured surprising distance, 
and was able to get his kick off under adverse cir- 
cumstances. 

Dudley Dean of Harvard was another excellent 
quarter, and with Lee, the Harvard half-back, was 
principally instrumental in winning the game at 

160 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

Springfield against the Yale team, captained by 
Ehodes, upon which McClung, the Yale half-back, 
made his first appearance. But besides these men. 
Harvard has a long line of stars who advanced 
the standard of play in individual positions — like 
Billy Brooks, Waters, Lewis, Brewer, Newell, the 
Hallowells, and a host of others. 

A SO-CALLED BLUNDER 

But there is another side to the shield, and a 
player takes his chance of responsibility that may 
bring, instead of glory, contumely and abuse. 
This occurred in the last Michigan- Chicago game, 
played in 1905. 

. In 1904, Michigan had defeated Chicago 22 to 
12, and for some years it had seemed well nigh an 
impossibility for Chicago or, in fact, any of the 
teams in the Middle West to defeat the Michigan 
aggregation. The game of 1905, therefore, took 
on added interest, and was spectacular in the ex- 
treme. It was cold, but there had been a little 
snow, so that the ground, though hard, was less 
dangerous. Eckersall, the Chicago kicker, was in 
good form and doing excellent work, particularly 
in his punting, but Garrells of Michigan was vir- 
tually holding him. The game had gone so long 
that it seemed unlikely that either side would 
score. Chicago had the ball just past mid-field, 

161 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

and what wind there was, thougli not directly be- 
hind them, favored them. They had failed to 
gain, and Eckersall dropped back for a kick. The 
ball went a little low, but the kick had unexpected 
steam in it, so that it traveled rather farther than 
the Michigan backs had expected and crossed the 
goal-line. There the Michigan quarter secured it, 
and had just an instant to decide what his play 
should be. 

Now, as matters turned out, the whole re- 
sponsibility of the game was thrown upon his 
shoulders, and many were the criticisms heaped 
upon him, though it has always seemed to me that 
from a foot-ball point of view his play was right 
and would have succeeded nine times out of ten. 
Let it be understood that the game was so nearly 
over that a drop-kick or a kick from placement 
would undoubtedly have won, and there was some 
wind favoring the attacking side and making it 
difficult to kick out after a touch-back without giv- 
ing Eckersall a chance for a fair catch and a place- 
kick goal. If the Michigan quarter could succeed 
in running the ball out into the field of play, 
Michigan would have a chance to use running 
plays, and probably advance the ball several yards, 
and even kick the ball out of bounds, so that in 
the remaining time Chicago would have no chance 
to use the ability of Eckersall in the kicking line. 

162 



PEESONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

If, on the other hand, the Michigan quarter 
touched the ball down where he secured it and 
made a touch-back, there was no possible way save 
by an extraordinary kick by which his side could 
put the ball far enough out so that they would not 
run the danger of a free kick at their goal. With 
this in mind, undoubtedly, the Michigan quarter, 
immediately upon securing the ball, ran diagonally 
across his goal, thus avoiding the men who were 
nearly on him, getting it into the field of play. 
He had gone a yard or two into the field of play 
when Catlin, the big Chicago end, reinforced by 
another Chicago player, struck him. The Michigan 
man was so small and the Chicago man so big that 
the men went crashing back over Michigan's goal 
for a safety, which settled the game in Chicago's 
favor. 

It was a cruel blow for the little Michigan back ; 
but even though it turned out badly, it has always 
seemed to me that his judgment was correct. 

INDIVIDUALISM IIT A TEAM 

That a team is similar to an individual in sud- 
den turning of spirit has upon occasions been 
manifest on the foot-ball field. A most notable in- 
stance of this was in the Pennsylvania-Cornell 
game of 1902. The game was played at Philadel- 
phia, and Cornell, owing to some very excellent 

163 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

early work and to the fact, perhaps, that they had 
been defeated by Princeton only by the drop-kick- 
ing of DeWitt, came down very pronounced favor- 
ites. They were eager and aggressive, carried the 
ball without great difficulty, and before the end of 
the first half, had scored twice. The Pennsylvania 
team, dogged and silent, had fought back to the 
best of their ability, but apparently, and in accord- 
ance with all predictions, were outclassed. How- 
ever, when the intermission had elapsed, almost 
from the start of the second half the two teams 
seemed to have exchanged dispositions. Pennsyl- 
vania took up the play eagerly and confidently, and 
Cornell endeavored to play safe, and very soon the 
spectators began to realize that Pennsylvania was 
outplaying Cornell. Before long they had scored 
a touch-down from which a goal was kicked. Then 
Cornell fought desperately to hold her lead, but 
in vain, for although time was sliding by fast, 
Pennsylvania forced the play until they finally 
succeeded in securing a touch-down at the extreme 
corner of the field. It was a very difficult situation, 
for they must convert the touch-down into a goal 
in order to win. It was impossible to kick the goal 
from the angle if the ball was brought straight 
out. They therefore decided upon a punt out. 
The crowd and players were in the greatest sus- 
pense, for this was Pennsylvania's chance for 

164 



5: d 






PEESONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

victory. The ball came out true and clean, was 
heeled virtually in front of the posts, and the goal 
was kicked. Two recent Yale-Princeton games 
have shown a similar transfer of spirit. 

LAMAE^S RUN" 

One of the most magnificent dashes ever made 
on a foot-ball field was the run made by Lamar of 
Princeton, in the game with Yale which was played 
upon the Yale field November 21, 1885. The game 
had been an unusual one in many respects. 
Princeton had come to New Haven after a long 
wrangle about the place of playing, and had 
brought a team supposed by experts throughout 
the country to be sure winners. The Yale team 
was a green one, and none of her partizans hoped 
for more than a respectable showing against the 
Princeton veterans. But Peters, the Yale captain, 
had done wonders with his recruits, as the game 
soon showed. His team opened with a rush, and 
actually forced the fight for the entire first half. 
They scored a goal from the field upon the aston- 
ished Princetonians, and, in spite of the valiant 
efforts put forth against them, seemed certain of 
victory. The feeling of the Princeton team and 
her sympathizers can easily be imagined. The 
sun was low in the horizon, nearly forty minutes 
of the second half were gone, and no one dared 

167 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

to hope such failing fortunes could be retrieved 
in the few remaining minutes. The ball was in 
Yale's hands, half way down the field, and on the 
northern edge. For a moment Captain Peters 
hesitated, and consulted with another of his 
players as to whether he should continue the run- 
ning game and thus make scoring against him 
impossible and victory certain, or send the ball by 
a kick down in front of his enemy's goal and trust 
to a fumble to increase his score. Perhaps not a 
dozen men knew what was in his mind. A kick 
was surely the more generous play in the eyes of 
the crowd. He settled the ball under his foot, 
gave the signal, and shot it back. The quarter 
sent it to Watkinson, who drove it with a low, 
swinging punt across the twenty-five-yard line 
and toward the farther goal post. It was a per- 
fect kick for Yale's purposes, difficult to catch and 
about to land close to the enemy's post. A 
Princeton man attempted to catch it, but it shot 
off his breast toward the southern touch-line. 
Lamar, who had been slightly behind this man, 
was just starting up to his assistance from that 
particular spot. As the ball slid off with its force 
hardly diminished, he made a most difficult short- 
bound catch of it on the run, and sped away along 
the southern boundary. The Yale forwards had 
all gone past the ball, in their expectation of get- 

168 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

tmg it, as they saw tlie missed catch. Lamar, 
therefore, went straight along toward the half- 
back and back. Watkinson, the kicker, had hardly 
stirred from his tracks, and the entire play had 
occupied but a few seconds, and he was therefore 
too near the northern side of the field to have even 
a chance to cut off the runner. Lamar, with the 
true instinct of the born runner, saw in a moment 
his opportunity, and ran straight along the south- 
ern edge as if he intended to get by there. Bull 
and his comrade (who then were inexperienced 
tackier s) were the two men in his pathway, and 
they both bunched over by the line as the Prince- 
ton runner came flying down upon them. Just as 
he was almost upon them, Lamar made a swerve 
to the right, and was by them like lightning be- 
fore either could recover. By this time two or 
three of the Yale forwards, Peters among them, 
had turned, and were desperately speeding up the 
fiield after Lamar, who was but a few yards in 
advance, having given up several yards of his ad- 
vantage to the well-executed manoeuver by which 
he had cleared his field of the half-back and back. 
Then began the race for victory. Lamar had 
nearly forty yards to go, and, while he was run- 
ning well, had had a sharp " breather " already, 
not only in his run thus far, but in his superb 
dodging of the backs. Peters, a strong, untiring, 

169 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

thoroughly trained nmner, was but a few yards 
behind him, and in addition to this he was the 
captain of a team which but a moment before 
had been sure of victory. How he ran! But 
Lamar — did he not too know full well what the 
beat of those footsteps behind him meant? The 
white five-yard lines fairly flew under his feet; 
past the broad twenty-five-yard line he goes, still 
with three or four yards to spare. Now he throws 
his head back with that familiar motion of the 
sprinter who is almost to the tape, and who will 
run his heart out in the last few strides, and, al- 
most before one can breathe, he is over the white 
goal-line and panting on the ground, with the ball 
under him, a touch-down made, from which a goal 
was kicked, and the day saved for Princeton. Poor 
Lamar ! He was drowned a few years after grad- 
uation, but no name will be better remembered 
among the foot-ball players of that day than will 
his. 

bull's kick 

The season of 1888 had opened with a veritable 
foot-ball boom. The previous season had ended 
with a close contest between Harvard and Yale, 
while Princeton, although occupying third place, 
had had by no means a weak team. Eeports of the 
preliminary work of the three great teams, while 
conflicting, pointed in a general way to an in- 

170 




BULL 
Yale's Famous Drop Kicker 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

creased strength at each, university. The Boston 
papers were lauding the work of the Harvard 
team, and the New York papers returning the 
compliment with tales of large scores by the 
Princeton men. Advices from New Haven showed 
that Yale had a far greater wealth of material 
from which to draw players than either of the 
others, so that although the actual strength of the 
team could not be learned, it was certain that the 
lugubrious reports from the City of Elms had 
little foundation. In this state of affairs, the first 
game, which was scheduled to be between the 
Crimson and the Orange and Black, was eagerly 
awaited. The game was played at Princeton, and 
an enormous crowd assembled to witness the 
match. Both sides were confident of victory, and 
Princeton was also determined to avenge the de- 
feat of the former season. The day was perfect, 
and the game a thoroughly scientific one. Although 
Harvard battled manfully up to the very last mo- 
ment, she could not overcome the lead which 
Princeton had obtained early in the game, and was 
at last forced to return to Cambridge defeated. 
The hopes of Princeton soared up that afternoon 
to the highest pitch, and those who were well 
posted on the relative merits of foot-ball players 
agreed with them that their prospects were indeed 
of the brightest. Had it not been for news which 

173 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

came over the wires that evening from New 
Haven, it would have been concluded that Prince- 
ton would find an easy prey in Yale. But that 
news was something startling. It seems that the 
Yale-Wesleyan championship game had been 
played that same day. Harvard and Princeton 
had each already met Wesleyan, but neither had 
scored over fifty points against that team. The 
astonishment of all foot-ball men was great, then, 
when the news came that Yale had made the al- 
most unprecedented score of 105 against the 
Middletown men. This, then, was the state of af- 
fairs previous to the Yale-Princeton match. Har- 
vard was now out of the question, owing to her 
defeat by Princeton, and all interest centered in 
this final contest. The day, while not very promis- 
ing in its morning aspect, turned out propitious 
toward noon, and fully fifteen thousand people 
crowded the Polo Grounds before the players 
stepped out on the field. A perfect roar of ap- 
plause greeted the entrance of the rival teams, and 
as they lined out facing one another, not even the 
most indifferent could help feeling the thrill of 
suppressed excitement that trembled through the 
vast throng. The game began, and for twenty- 
five minutes first one side gained a slight advan- 
tage, then the other, but neither had been able to 
Bcore. The Yale men had a slight advantage in 

174 



PERSONALITY IN" FOOT -BALL 

position, having forced the ball into Princeton's 
territory. So manfully were they held from ad- 
vancing closer to the coveted goal, that people 
were beginning to think that the game might result 
in a draw, neither side scoring. At this point Yale 
had possession of the ball. That slight change in 
position, — that massing of the forwards toward 
the center and the closing up of the back, — that 
surely means something! Yes, Princeton sees it 
too, and eagerly her forwards press up in the line 
with their eyes all centered on the back, for it is 
evident he is to try a drop-kick for goal. This 
bright-faced, boyish-looking fellow, with a rather 
jaunty air, is Bull, Yale's famous drop-kicker. He 
seems calm and quiet enough as he gives a look of 
direction to the quarter, and with a smile steps 
up to the spot where he wishes the ball thrown. 
There is a moment of expectancy, and then the 
whole forward line seems torn asunder, and 
through the gap comes a mass of Princeton rush- 
ers with a furious dash; but just ahead of them 
flies the ball, from the quarter, straight and sure 
into Bull's outstretched hands. It hardly seems to 
touch them, so quickly does he turn the ball and 
drop it before him, as with a swing of his body he 
brings himself into kicking attitude, and catching 
the ball with his toe, as it rises from the ground, 
shoots it like a bolt just over the heads of the 

175 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

Princeton forwards, and — down lie goes in the 
rusli ! The ball, however, sails smoothly on, high 
in the air, just missing by a few feet the wished- 
f or goal. 

A sigh of relief escapes from the troubled 
breasts of Princeton sympathizers as they realize 
that for a time, at least, the danger is past. The 
Orange and Black bring the ball out for a kick-out, 
and work desperately to force it up the field, hav- 
ing had too vivid a realization of danger to desire 
a repetition. Again, however, they are driven 
steadily back until the Yale captain thinks he is 
near enough to give Bull a second opportunity, 
and at a signal the formation for a kick is again 
made. Bull, a little less smiling, a trifle less 
jaunty in his air, again takes his position. Again 
Princeton opens up the line and drives her for- 
wards down upon him, but again that deadly drop 
sails over their heads ; this time a foot nearer the 
black cross-bar. Another kick-out by Princeton 
follows, and another desperate attempt to force 
the Blue back to the center of the field ; but with a 
maddening persistency, and with a steady plung- 
ing not to be checked, the gray and blue line fights 
its way, yard by yard, down upon the Princeton 
territory. Captain Corbin glances once more at 
the goal, sees that his line is near enough, and 
again gives the signal. Bull steps up for the third 

176 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

time, and his smile lias flown. He realizes that 
twice have his ten men carried the ball for him up 
to the very door of victory, only to see him close 
that door in their faces. His lips are firmly set 
as his resolve shows itself in every line of his well- 
knit frame. He settles himself firmly on his feet 
and gives the signal for the ball to come. For the 
third time the little quarter hurls it from under 
the very feet of the plunging mass, and this time 
Bull sends it true as a bullet straight over the 
cross-bar between the posts. With a yell of delight 
the Yale men rush madly over the ropes and seize 
the successful kicker. In the second half Bull has 
but one opportunity; but he takes advantage of 
that one to score another goal, and when the game 
is over is borne off in triumph by the rejoicing 
Yalensians, the hero of the day. 

KENlir Ann's GOAL 

Another equally remarkable kick will always 
loom large in the football annals, and that was the 
one made by Victor Kennard of Harvard in the 
Yale-Harvard game of 1908. The two teams had 
come through the season with some remarkable 
performances by each, most notable perhaps being 
Yale 's recovering when Princeton led them at the 
end of the first half 10 to and Yale finally suc- 
ceeding in winning the game in the second half. 

179 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

Harvard's work had been steadier but not so bril- 
liant. The excitement was intense when the teams 
met, and before the game was over it was clearly- 
shown why the interest was so great, and further 
than that it was demonstrated upon what a care- 
fully planned move the game eventually depended. 
Victor Kennard, already mentioned, was a can- 
didate for the back team at Harvard. Before the 
season commenced, Harvard's captain and coach 
determined to secure a drop-kicker upon whom 
reliance could be placed, as in a close game, every- 
thing might hang upon this one opportunity and 
its successful seizing. Kennard was the man 
chosen, and even in the summer he practised this 
specialty daily. He even perfected the finer 
points by practising with a center who would pass 
the ball to him, and he experimented with shoes to 
find out what type insured him the best results. 
Nourse, the Harvard Varsity center, was his room 
mate, and these two men worked together. By 
midsummer, Kennard had reached a standard of 
more than fair perfection, but still kept up his 
steady work, and was occasionally sent into games, 
although his first attempt in the opening game of 
the season against Bowdoin resulted in a failure. 
His next try was in the Springfield Training 
School game and he shot the ball over from the 35 
yard line mark. He was thrown into the Indian 

180 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

game with a chance of 45 yards, and while the ball 
went straight, it did not reach the goal. 

But to return to the Yale and Harvard game. 
Yale started off with a rush and nearly threw the 
Harvard team off its feet with the force of the 
attack, carrying the ball down to the 15 yard line, 
but here they were stalled. Harvard returned 
with an equally fierce attack and carried the ball 
well into Yale's territory. The fortunes of war 
seemed favoring first one side and then the other, 
but only reached really dangerous scoring distance 
after this first rush of Yale's when in the second 
half Harvard, after a magnificent effort, had car- 
ried the ball down to Yale's 20 yard line. The first 
down Yale held manfully, and Harvard made no 
gain. The second down, they reached Yale's 15 
yard line, the ball just delivered to the left of the 
goal. Just as they were about to start another 
play, time was called and Kennard was sent out 
from the side lines where he had been held as a 
substitute. He takes his position and in a remark- 
ably short space of time for a line-up of this kind, 
gives the signal and the ball is placed, and he 
shoots it unerringly over Yale's goal for the only 
score of the game. 



181 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

*' TED " COY 

*' Ted " Coy of Yale is probably to-day tbe 
best known player on the foot-ball gridiron. Blond 
of coloring, of a winning personality, the embodi- 
ment of fair play and hard play, he stood out in 
the season of 1910 as one of the most marked of 
gridiron heroes. When he went into the Yale and 
Harvard game as captain of the Yale team, he 
stripped at 190 lbs. and stood out as the type of 
the finest of college foot-ball players. He knew 
that the game was to be a hard one, and that he, 
himself, so far as his physical condition was con- 
cerned, owing to a slight operation in the early 
part of the season, was nothing like what he had 
been the year before so far as running endurance 
was concerned, but his year of captaincy had de- 
veloped resourcefulness and coolness in him to a 
degree, and he felt morally certain of every man 
on his team, and that he could rely upon each to 
do his part of the work when called upon. He 
knew the fierceness of the Harvard attack and 
what it would cost in the way of using up of 
tackles before the game was over. When one of his 
best tackles went under on the initial play of the 
game, it was an added blow, but it only spurred 
Coy to greater personal effort. As soon as 
Lilly, the injured tackle, was carried to the side 

182 



PERSONALITY IN FOOT -BALL 

lines, Coy began to carry out his plan of campaign. 
Answering the Harvard attack with just as little 
expenditure of force on the part of his team as 
was necessary, tightening np only as the danger 
approached, and not trying for the last yard, but 
concerting every bit of strength in his power, and 
sweeping them out of difficulty and danger by 
a long punt whenever necessary, he gradually 
worked his way down into Harvard's goal and 
shot a drop kick over. Two more points were 
added by the aggressiveness of his line in block- 
ing a kick of Harvard's, and then to crown the 
final moments of his captaincy, he sent another 
kick over from a difficult angle and against a 
cross wind, and passed out of foot-ball history 
as one of Yale's greatest players. 

I am sorry that the space devoted does not en- 
able me to take up the play of the Indians — Hud- 
son, Johnson, Pierce, and others — as well as the 
wonderful kickers in the West like Herschberger 
of Chicago, O'Dea of Wisconsin, or the quarter- 
backs like Eckersall and Steffen of Chicago, or 
Heston of Michigan, probably the best half-back 
the West has ever produced ; but I hope to have 
opportunity to touch upon these in later chronicles. 



183 



CHAPTER V 

GENERAL STRATEGY 

THE CONFERENCE AND AGEEEMENT 

IN the winter of 1899-1900, before an open fire at 
New Haven, with sleet and snow beating at the 
windows and the wind howling a gale outside, 
three men sat thrashing out the never-failing sub- 
ject of foot-ball strategy. One was the captain 
of the next year's team at Yale, the second was the 
field coach, and the third was a graduate adviser. 

'' It 's the fundamentals we must work on," said 
the field coach. " The reason why we had such a 
close call last year was because we have been 
gradually drifting away from the good old prin- 
ciples of blocking your man, getting through, and 
tackling low. I tell you, any team that masters 
those fundamentals in the first month can then 
build up a game that will win." 

' ' That 's true, ' ' said the captain. * ' We worked 
on other things so much that we were certainly 
weak in the cardinal principles." 

" I agree absolutely with that," said the ad- 
viser, ' ' but I also believe that in the general sys- 
tem the possibilities of offense are not half ex- 

184 



GENERAL STRATEGY 

hausted, and that a set of plays can be given a 
team that will simply annihilate the defense of the 
opponents, provided, of course, the men know 
straight foot-ball." 

^' By Jove! it wonld be pretty fine," said the 
captain, ' ' if we could do that ! " 

' ' It can be done, ' ' said the graduate ; ' ' but it 
will be the hardest for you and the coach to carry 
it out." 

'' What do you mean by that?" queried the 
coach. 

' ' Because the plays will be entirely unsatisfac- 
tory to everybody while they are being put in 
practice. By the first of November every one will 
criticize them, bemoan the time spent upon them, 
and predict the direst failure, if they are con- 
tinued. ' ' 

' ' Do you really mean that ? ' ' 

'' Certainly I do, and then it will be up to you 
to ' stand the gaff,' as they say, and carry them 
through until they begin to have their effect. The 
first week they may work a little from their very 
novelty and because the men are interested. Then 
before the individual members of the team have 
had sufficient practice to make them complete 
every movement with precision, the defense will 
prove the stronger. The scrub will stop the plays 
or tangle them all up; the team will first lose con- 

185 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

fidence, tlieii ambition, and finally you will find 
even your best men, wMle not in rebellion, desirous 
of dropping the plays and going back to the simple 
ones upon whicli they have been drilled in the 
past." 

'' I can't believe that," said the captain. 
' ' They must see that it is practice — practice that 
is needed." 

' ' But that is just what they cannot believe, and 
even you and your coach here will be ready to 
abandon the plays." 

" Not if you say they are good." 

' ' Well, if my judgment of pace and the present 
defense is not all wrong, I am sure the plays will 
come out all right if you will keep at them to the 
end. ' ' 

" We '11 stick to them fast enough," jauntily 
returned the captain, 

'' It 's a bargain, then," said the graduate. 
" I '11 lay them out and give them to you. ' * 

THE CRITICAL PERIOD 

The winter passed, and the spring and summer. 
Fall practice began, and the series of plays was 
put into effect. They were based entirely upon 
the theory that the opponents had been taught to 
play low and to charge forward immediately upon 
the snap of the ball. The lines of attack were so 

186 



GENERAL STRATEGY 

disposed as to make this very charge of each man 
in his line place him in such a position that except 
by tremendous effort he could not recover his bal- 
ance so as to oppose effective resistance to the 
attack. The new plays necessitated a heavy full- 
back, and no other being at hand, one of the tack- 
les, Perry Hale, was taken from the line and 
made the regular full-back. Another green player 
was placed at tackle. 

By the first of November great was the criti- 
cism of the team. It was " slow, painfully slow." 
A respectable end run was certainly out of the 
question. The back field, to use the expression 
of one of the coaches, was ^' slower than molasses 
in January." Finally the captain called up the 
graduate one evening and said that he thought 
they would have to put the full-back up at tackle 
again and get a faster, lighter man who could get 
up pace enough to keep up with the rest of the 
backs. 

" But that means the abandonment of the 
plays, ' ' said the graduate. 

'' I know; but every one says they never will 
work, and something must be done." 

''Where's McBride? " asked the graduate, 
naming the field coach. 

" Over in his room at the hotel," said the cap- 
tain. 

189 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

*' I am going down to see him. Don't do any- 
thing till I see you later." 

' ' All right ; but things look pretty dark. ' ' 

"When the three men met later in the evening, 
it was a depressing occasion. The captain re- 
ported that almost every man on the team had lost 
confidence. He had talked with them individually, 
and all wanted the back field speeded up and Hale, 
the heavy full-back, put into his old position at 
tackle. The coach said that he was hearing noth- 
ing else from the coaches who had seen the game 
in New York against Columbia. 

It was indeed a serious time, but it was finally 
agreed that the present positions and plays should 
be maintained until the game with the Carlisle 
Indians, and if by that time and in that game they 
did not show their worth, the graduate was will- 
ing to see them abandoned, and Hale sent up into 
the line at tackle, and a faster back field developed. 
Only one who has either captained or coached a 
foot-ball team can appreciate the feelings of these 
three men on the eve of the Indian game. Each 
knew that failure then meant too short a time to 
develop the team along other lines. They had 
virtually burned their bridges behind them, and 
were now to stake their season on the work of the 
next afternoon. 

On that evening a still further chance was de- 
190 



GENERAL STRATEGY 

termined upon. The big full-back was sueb a fac- 
tor in himself that the graduate urged an even 
greater hazard, but a better test of the plays. He 
suggested that another man, Dupee, should re- 
place Hale for that game — a man not nearly so 
powerful, but one who knew the plays and would 
by the experience of a game fit himself to take the 
place of the full-back in the later championship 
games with Harvard and Princeton should any in- 
jury incapacitate the regular man. This seemed 
indeed too much, but was finally accepted, and the 
two teams lined up. 

THE rUSTAL ACCOMPLISHMENT 

From the very start the Yale team, with its new 
plays, marched down the field through and over 
the bewildered opponents, six, eight, ten, a dozen 
yards at a down, until the coach of the Indians 
exclaimed: '^ I cannot understand what is the 
matter with my men. I never saw them so com- 
pletely at sea." 

The final score was 35 to 0, and the plays had 
* ' made good. ' ' The Princeton game was won 29 
to 5, and the Harvard game 28 to 0, and within 
a year half the teams in the country were playing 
" tackle-back " plays. In the game of that year 
Harvard played against Yale no fewer than 
twenty men. They were considerably heavier 

191 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

than the Yale men, and yet the majority of those 
who were taken out were not injured, but rather 
so exhausted by their efforts to meet these plays 
as to make it advisable to replace them with fresh 
men. 



THE STEATEGY OF THE GAME 

But while in American intercollegiate foot-ball 
the development of players is of great interest, 
still more appealing to those who enjoy the sport 
for its strategical possibilities is the study and 
development of plays. In 1908, Mr. Haughton, 
the coach of the Harvard team, defeated Yale as 
related in the last chapter by the successful de- 
velopment of a kicking-machine in the person of 
Kennard, who previous to and throughout the 
season had practised short, accurate drop-kicking. 
As the critical moment came when the situation 
was advantageous for the exhibition of this man's 
specialty, Kennard was sent in; the ball came 
back to him. He calmly sent it over the Yale goal, 
and the game was won. 

McCaa of Lafayette won the game against 
Brown by the exhibition of his remarkable goal- 
kicking prowess, while Thorpe and Balenti of 
the Carlisle Indian team shot goals from place- 
ment at almost any distance and from any angle 
against their opponents, who lined up before them 

192 



\ 







|^^^R^H| '4C ^«Bij|a|g| 










^^H| 




Hf'"^ 




EDWARD H. COY THOMAS L. SHEVLIN 


Vaie Yale 


^4iN»^ 


k nk 


^?f 


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"^t_^- 


WALTER W. HEFFELFIXGER 


Vnh' 





GENERAL STRATEGY 

almost gnashing their teeth in the powerlessness 
of their defense. 

Miller, a second-string quarter-back of Pennsyl- 
vania, ran almost at will through the Cornell team 
on Thanksgiving Day, while Coy of Yale plunged 
through the Princeton team in his second half of 
their game to two touch-downs, turning what 
looked like certain defeat into remarkable victory. 

Some of the highest scholarship men in college 
have been attracted to the foot-ball field mainly 
on account of the brains necessary in the possibil- 
ities of the sport. 

One salutatorian at Yale fought his way 
through over two years of unrelenting work on 
the second team up to the position of quarter-back 
on the Varsity, and was fully as proud of this 
exploit as of his other achievements. It is indeed 
a strangely fascinating sport. 

The " Game of War " is a favorite expression 
and the sentiment behind it accounts for the won- 
derful hold the mimic battles of the gridiron have 
always had upon the class of men who see little 
in simple contests of strength and endurance. It 
is the strategy of the game that appeals to them 
either as players or observers, and from first to 
last this is the strongest feature of the American 
Intercollegiate game. Some of the strategy con- 
sists in the proper handling of the Eleven during 

195 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

the actual moment of contact. Another part con- 
sists in so maneuvering on the field as to place 
the opponents in a disadvantageous position. Still 
another part may go further back and begin in 
the early development of the team and players. 
There is a strategy towards opponents and a 
strategy at home. Oftentimes it is entirely inad- 
visible to let the players know what the final out- 
come of some theories of plays is intended to be. 
They are better to be taken along step by step 
with apparently no method and then blended into 
a completed whole. There may be strategy em- 
ployed even in the case of a single individual, and 
it may be very effective in his development. If 
he were told all at once what was finally expected 
of him, he never would take the intermediate steps 
that are absolutely essential in making a finished 
player. This has been made apparent over and 
over again in the coaching of individual positions. 
One coach may have failed utterly to develop a 
player for a certain position, and another coach 
taking the same man and progressing step by 
step, in a week turn him out a thoroughly capable 
exponent of the play. But even these suggestions 
do not begin to depict the possibilities and the 
necessity of brains in connection with the sport. 

On the occasion of a visit the writer once made 
to a coach on the eve of a big match, in fact only 

196 



GENEEAL STRATEGY 

a week from the time of Ms game, he went through 
his plays in secret practice in order to get the 
writer's judgment on these plays. Many of them 
were excellent. Among them were some forward 
passes which were deceptive, but which even if 
they came off were likely to gain only a few yards, 
there being very little chance of getting the runner 
completely free. At the same time it was true 
that if the pass were intercepted, there was prac- 
tically no protection for the play, and the oppo- 
nent who intercepted the pass was likely to make 
a run of considerable length, possibly even a 
touch-down. It had not occurred to the coach and 
captain just what this kind of a gamble meant, 
and upon the writer showing them that they were 
putting up their stake of a touch-down against op- 
ponents ' stake of four or five yards, they deter- 
mined to cut these plays out. 

This is only a small instance of the test to which 
strategic moves in the game of foot-ball should be 
submitted. Modern strategy on the gridiron must 
take cognizance and that, too, very careful cogni- 
zance, of the theory of chances. It is an excellent 
thing to deceive the opponents, and upon decep- 
tion of the opponents rests a great deal of suc- 
cessful work in foot-ball, but if a play requires so 
much elaboration as to make it doubtful whether 
a team can always execute it satisfactorily even 

197 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

if left to themselves, it is decidedly a question 
whether they will be able to execute it with safety 
when their opponents are endeavoring to solve it 
and prevent it. If, then, the play requires so 
much tune to perfect, and in addition happens to 
be a play which failing gives the opponents an 
unusual chance for a run, it is not worth the labor 
expended upon it. Another instance of wasted 
strategy lies in the development of plays in which 
the ball is passed through two hands, but the time 
of that passing is such that the final runner with 
the ball reaches the position he is aiming at in the 
line in practically the same elapsed time that 
would have been consumed had the pass been a 
direct pass. Many coaches waste their time on 
such moves as this only to find that the opponents 
stop the play without difficulty. The value of a 
play of this nature depends upon its timing. The 
time should be either shorter or longer than the 
time consumed in a direct pass and run. Then 
there is a chance to find the opponents off their 
balance through coming through too quickly, or 
unprepared through inability to start properly. 
Much of the modern strategy of the game is de- 
pendent upon deceiving the opponents through 
the medium of false or indirect starting of the 
back-field men. Delayed passes are likely to be- 
come popular again. In this, the. eventual runner 

198 



GENERAL STRATEGY 

with, the ball does not make his start until a fake 
run has been put well under way. Fake kicks, 
that is plays where the opponents expect the full- 
back to kick the ball, but instead of that he either 
runs with it, or the ball is passed quickly to a 
back-field man, who is nearer the line, for a quick 
shoot through, depend almost entirely upon get- 
ting men off their balance. Those who are charg- 
ing through to reach the kicker and block his kick 
are going so rapidly that when hie makes his fake, 
and turns the play into a run, they are entirely 
unable to check their speed, and he may circle 
them without difficulty. Coy, the Yale captain, 
played a new development of this fake kick in the 
West Point match in 1909. He dropped back as 
if for a kick, but turned the play into a run, and 
tben having been cautioned on account of a recent 
injury not to run with, the ball, just as he was 
about to encircle the end, he sent a long, low punt 
down nearly seventy yards into West Point's ter- 
ritory. This was an added development that 
caught the opponents entirely unprepared. 

The masking of plays by having the backs four 
men in a line parallel to the scrimmage line, the 
ball being passed to any one of them, and the run- 
ner then turning and running behind them, is ca- 
pable of considerable development, as it is diffi- 
cult for a line-man on the opposing side to see, if 

201 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

the man makes his shift properly just at what 
point he is likely to strike, whereas a direct inter- 
ference sent on or outside tackle has now become 
so common and easily diagnosed that the oppo- 
nents place the runner almost by instinct. The 
combination of run with forward pass is a good 
one and has already been worked effectively, but 
is capable of still further development. Under 
the rules of 1910, the runner must see to it that 
in the course of his run, if he proceeds to turn 
it into a forward pass, he must be at the time of 
making it at least 5 yards back of the line of scrim- 
mage. On the other hand, he may stand back and 
fake a forward pass and then run on with the ball. 
This deception is greatly added to by making a 
double pass, and in fact several of the most effect- 
ive forward passes are worked out from double 
passes. The old criss-cross promises much in this 
respect and especially if it be aided by another 
play in the form of an on-side kick. 

GENERALSHIP 

Elsewhere I have gone into the detail of the 
individual positions and here I shall pay more 
attention to giving captains and players some 
brief suggestions in the generalship of the game, 
and developing combinations that will enable them 
to get the most value out of the material they 

202 



GENERAL STRATEGY 

have. In the first place, there is no point npon 
which more depends than the absolute power of 
the captain. Upon this one of the best writers 
upon English Rugby Union foot-ball is thoroughly 
in accord with me. I refer to Mr. Harry Vassall. 
The captain should have sole power to select his 
team. He may take the advice of his coach, or of 
committees; but the putting of a man on or the 
dropping of him off should rest in his hands alone. 
In this way only can he properly fulfil the duties 
of his position and secure the thorough command 
over his men that such a position demands. He 
should be a masterly man, and so self-reliant in 
emergencies that his men will naturally stand by 
him and look to him for advice, help, and com- 
mands. His relations with his men should, how- 
ever, be such that he is always ready to listen to 
suggestions, — never, or very seldom, on the field, 
but after the play is over. 

One of the great secrets of good team play lies 
in adapting each play most carefully to the men 
taking part in it. If a team be a heavy team, but 
with no fast runners, the general study must be 
toward wedge forcing, not interlocked, and pusK 
playing, being sure to get the interference ahead 
of the runner — that is, the team must be taught 
in every possible way to make use of their weight : 
not to attempt to outpace their opponents, but to 

203 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

crusli them back. If, on the other hand, the team 
be a light, fast one, the development of the play 
should be along the lines of quick and deceptive 
movements, combined with double passes, criss- 
crosses, and a fair variety of trick plays. In 
many cases a team may be in neither category, 
that is, neither especially heavy nor, on the other 
hand, below the average in weight or above it in 
point of general activity. Then the team play 
must be based upon the especial capabilities of 
some one or more men, usually those behind the 
line. With a good punter every possible advan- 
tage should be taken of the kicking game. The 
ends should be given the greatest attention, so as 
to render them sufficiently fast and expert in tack- 
ling to be sure of holding the ground gained by 
the punter. The center should be made absolutely 
certain of his long snap-back, so that he may be 
able to place the ball exactly where the kicker 
wishes it. The tackles should also be taught to 
back up the ends in going down the field, and thus 
every possible means be employed to make the 
exceptional punting sure of reaping its due re- 
ward. In case a team has a very fast, strong half- 
back, a man far above the average in running abil- 
ity, not only should plays be developed which call 
for him to carry the ball to the extent of his en- 
durance, but, if he be a good catcher of punts, he 

204 



Iv 



GENERAL STRATEGY 



should be the man sent back to catch the kicks of 
the enemy, and thus secure additional opportunity 
for the display of his running ability. Often- 
tiiies it is just the running back of a punt that so 
depresses the opponents and encourages the side 
wiiose man accomplishes the run as to open the 
way directly to a touch-down. 

In making all team and combination plays in 
foot-ball there are several distinct points to be 
borne in mind, and from the very beginning of his 
foot-ball days the player and captain who wishes 
to succeed must study his play in relation to these 
points. To take these up in order, the first is to 
make use of a play, if possible, for which the op- 
ponents are the least prepared. This may be ac- 
complished in two distinct ways. It may be done 
by masking or disguising the play, or it may be 
done by making the move and getting the ball in 
motion quickly before the opponents are ready for 
any play at all. The first method is by far the 
easiest, because it depends only upon a few easily 
learned tricks of formation. The latter is the 
more difficult, because it takes the greater part 
of a season's entire practice and coaching to make 
a team competent to play a fast game. But it is 
well worth while to combine the two, for they go 
admirably together, and a fast team is almost al- 
ways a clever one, and usually a very reliable one. 

205 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

To disguise a play, the simplest method is tc study- 
out an arrangement of men of such a nature that 
the resulting move — the final outlet for the i un- 
ner — may be varied without alteration in the first 
formation. Thus the interference may be formed 
which shall start forward with the runner in Ihe 
center and yet let him out either directly in front 
or at one side or the other. The signal given in- 
dicates to the runner and his assistants which out- 
let will be used, and the opponents are utterly 
unable from the position of the men to tell which 
the outlet will be. This prevents them from mass- 
ing their men, and so renders the success of the 
play far greater. Similarly an occasional pre- 
tended kick altering into a run may prove very 
successful, as well as being demoralizing to the 
opponents. In such a case the ball is passed back 
as for a kick, and the man who receives it instead 
of kicking it dodges his man and runs for the end ; 
or the ball may be passed to some one else who 
has escaped observation and who darts through 
the line from close quarters. 

This play serves still another purpose in that it 
alarms the opponents and prevents their coming 
down so rapidly and freely at the kicker in future 
plays, because they remember the pretended kick 
and endeavor to guard against it. The criss-cross 
or double pass is another excellent example of a 

206 



GENERAL STRATEGY 

disguised play, the ball being passed by the quar- 
ter to one of the backs, who starts rapidly for one 
end of the line, but after going a few steps hands, 
or tosses, the ball to his companion who is going 
in the opposite direction and who carries the ball 
to the other end, which has probably been more 
or less weakened by the efforts of the men on that 
side to cross over and protect the end they fancied 
was to be assailed. One of the most remarkable 
of these disguised plays was the opening wedge 
practised by the Harvard team in 1892 more fully 
described in another chapter. This play was 
made by dividing the team into two parts, one 
consisting of the heavier men, the other of the 
lighter, but faster, ones. These two parts were 
placed the former some ten and the latter some 
fifteen yards behind the ball, and out two-thirds 
of the way toward touch on each side. A runner 
was placed behind the heavier mass, a pretending, 
or '^ fake," runner nearer the middle, and a man 
at the ball to put it in play. At a given signal the 
two bodies of men started converging toward the 
ball, which was not put in play until all were close 
upon it. Then, while the ball was being played 
and handed to the runner, the two bodies united 
and, turning toward the side of the lighter and 
faster men, moved diagonally up the field. The 
play was susceptible of a complete change in di- 

207 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

rection by sending the combined masses to either 
the right or the left, as well- as by using the fake 
runner, and was therefore a capital development 
of the masked play. 

- Working along the lines as suggested by these 
examples, the player and captain may bring out 
plenty of original plays, for the possibilities of 
the game in that direction are by no means ex- 
hausted. 

As to the use of his men in combination plays, 
the captain must consider that, while disguising 
plays is advisable, there are extremes. For in- 
stance, the methods that require hard work of 
each member of the team while only half enter 
into the real play, should not be resorted to too 
frequently, because it exhausts the men without 
compensating gain; and when the opponents se- 
cure the ball, the defensive play is found materi- 
ally weakened by the condition of the men. Coy 
of Yale in 1909 gave a splendid example of hus- 
bandry in energy of his team to meet Harvard's 
fierce mass attack. 

But besides the various advantages to be gained 
by taking the opponents at unexpected points, or 
by rapidity of play attacking them when unpre- 
pared, one should also consider the value of a per- 
sistent assault upon a known weak point. As ex- 
amples of this, one may consider the case of a 

208 



GENERAL STRATEGY 

team whose halves and backs are poor catchers. 
In this case a judicious use of long high punts of 
a twisting variety, well followed up by the for- 
wards, will often result in securing touch-downs, 
or repeated long gains, from their muffing. Here 
it is not material that the play be disguised; in 
fact, sometimes the very knowledge that the kick 
is coming, will render a poor catcher all the more 
unsteady and nervous. Again it may be well 
known that the center of the line of the opponents 
has proved in former matches essentially weak, 
and in that case undisguised forcing of that point 
may give repeated gains, besides discouraging the 
balance of the team, who are powerless to prevent 
the advance. Or one end may be weak, and grow 
even weaker when forced to continual effort. 

The same man should not be made the runner 
by the assaulting team, but kept fresh by the vari- 
ation of their action, and throwing the hardest 
work successively upon different men, while the 
same two or three men of the opponents are forced 
to meet it. The more men that are given a chance 
in these plays the better, because their combined 
force results in materially adding to the strength 
of the play. 

There is one other vital point which should be 
always borne in mind by the captain when using 
his plays in a game, and that is the possibility of 

211 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

an accidental loss of the ball. This caution applies 
more particularly to trick plays and passing than 
to mass plays, because in the latter the loss of the 
ball seldom means a serious matter. In a trick 
play, however, the very formation of the men is 
likely to operate disastrously, by giving the oppo- 
nent who secures the ball a chance for a long run. 
In passing, also, especially long passing, the same 
caution must be observed, and the cardinal rule, 
therefore, in both cases is not to venture such 
plays when within one's own 25-yard line, on ac- 
count of the risk of the opponents securing a 
touch-down if a fluke be made. 

GENEEAL STEATEGY OF THE GAME 

It would be to leave the subject of foot-ball but 
half completed, did one fail to touch upon the 
larger strategies of a campaign, and to show how 
the almost unlimited lesser plays, when properly 
grouped, prove irresistible in advancing the ball. 
The first thing to be considered is the material at 
the captain's command. The foot-ball player can 
never be educated to a pitch of machine-like per- 
fection, nor will any amount of training make him 
absolutely untiring. It is therefore necessary to 
start with the premise that no one or two men can 
do all the work. The object must be to use each 
man to the full extent of his capacity without ex- 

212 



aENEEAL STRATEGY 

hausting any. To do this scientifically involves 
placing the men in such positions on the field that 
each may perform the work for which he is best 
fitted, and yet not be forced to do any of the work 
toward which his qualifications and training do 
not point. From this necessity grew the special 
divisions of players as indicated in another 
paragraph. It might seem that this division of 
players would take all responsibility from the 
captain's shoulders; but it does not do this by 
any means. It only insures some sort of regu- 
larity of work for each individual. For instance, 
a rusher unless it be his special forte will hardly 
be called upon to drop-kick a goal, nor will a half 
be often forced to snap-back the ball. 

There still remains the possibility of giving any 
one of these men so much work of his own special 
kind to perform as will exhaust him, and thus 
make it impracticable to call upon him when he is 
most needed. Here is an element quite dissimilar 
to any entering into our other popular sport, base- 
ball. If one might suppose that it were possible 
in that game to let the most rapid base runner do 
as much of the running for the rest of the nine as 
the captain chose, we should have a temptation 
similar to that which assails the foot-ball captain. 
It would not be improbable that this chosen run- 
ner would become exhausted under certain circum- 

213 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

stances ; and should he happen to be the pitcher 
as well, the results would prove fatal to the suc- 
cess of his nine. It seems as if no amount of calm 
reasoning can convince the average foot-ball cap- 
tain of this fundamental principle. Year after 
year has the '' one man " game been attempted, 
and year after year it has brought to grief the 
team attempting it. Nor is it enough for a captain 
merely to transfer the play from one player to 
another in order not to exhaust any. He must do 
this at the proper time, and not at haphazard. 
His best runner will be needed at some critical 
moment, and at just that moment must he be used. 
Rush-line men must not be given too much run- 
ning to do early in a game, or their tackling and 
getting through will suffer. It is a serious mis- 
take to take the edge off their strength until one 
is certain of the style and force of the adversary's 
running. As a policy which, while not infallible, 
will be most uniformly successful, the following 
may be laid down : 

Save the rushers as much as possible until the 
enemy have had an opportunity to send two or 
three of their (presumably) best formations 
against them; then, if the line holds these men 
without difficulty, the rushers can be used more 
freely for general play. 

The halves and back should not be given any 
214 




55 a" 



GENERAL STRATEGY 

tackling to do in the beginning of the game. In- 
sist upon the rushers attending to their business 
so thoroughly as to avoid all possibility of a run- 
ner coming through. 

It may seem a strange thing to make such a 
statement as this, but coaches will bear me out 
when I say that there are many teams which go 
into games with a line of rushers who do not get 
warmed up until a runner or two have come clear 
through them and been tackled by the halves or 
back. This is all wrong, and can be prevented by 
a few words before the game. 

These ideas regarding the use of material will 
suggest the details to any thoughtful captain. 
Sudden unexpected plays are often of great value 
when close to the goal-line. 

In the fall of 1878 Yale and Princeton were de- 
ciding the championship at St. George's. Noth- 
ing had been scored during the first half, and the 
second half was well along. The many strategies 
of each team had been nearly exhausted without 
an advantage to either side. Yale was hard 
pressed within her twenty-fi!ve-yard line, and 
Princeton had succeeded in getting possession of 
the ball. This was in the days before the rule had 
been made preventing running by the quarter- 
back. McNair, one of Princeton's best runners, 
made a beautiful dash over on the western edge 

217 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

of the field, going out of bounds within a few yards 
of Yale's goal-line. Instead of playing the ball 
from touch, the Princeton captain elected to bring 
it out fifteen paces, which brought it within a few 
yards of Yale's western goal post. Both sides 
lined up. Every man who played in those days 
or who plays now knows how a team banks the 
forwards in the center when they are forced up 
against their goal-line. He also knows how these 
same forwards lean down, low, pressing closely 
against the opposing rushers in order that they 
may have a strong foothold and prevent the enemy 
from forcing them back over the line. That, then, 
was the position of the Yale forwards. They were 
playing particularly close to the ground because 
Withington, the Princeton quarter, a nimble and 
clever runner, had several times during the game 
ducked under and through them for a gain of sev- 
eral yards. All was anxiety of the most intense 
kind. The two lines seemed hardly able to re- 
strain themselves as they surged against one an- 
other. This was in the days before hurdling was 
forbidden. Suddenly the Princeton snap-back's 
foot shot the ball back into Withington 's arms, 
who, instead of going under as all expected, 
sprang into the air directly over the shoulders of 
his own rushers and on to the backs of the Yale 
forwards, who in the very effort of rising to check 

218 



GENEEAL STRATEGY 

him only assisted in turning him over the goal- 
line, and Princeton had won the game. 

A few years later Yale retaliated with an 
equally clever manoeuver. The game was at the 
Polo Grounds, and Richards, the Yale captain, 
had just made a field-kick goal, which had been dis- 
allowed by the referee owing to an off-side play. 
The ball had been kicked out by Princeton but 
forced back in the Yale hands until they were 
again within kicking distance. Richards came up 
as if for another drop-kick, and Princeton's rush- 
ers nerved themselves for a desperate rush at him 
in order to stop the kick. The ball was snapped, 
and Twombley, who was playing quarter, received 
it and made a swift turn towards Richards. In- 
stead, however, of throwing the ball, he held it, 
but the Princeton forwards went by him like the 
wind straight at Richards. Beck, who was play- 
ing next the end on the right, had dropped back 
on a line with Twombley, who instantly passed 
him the ball, and he was over the line with it be- 
fore the astonished Princetonians realized that 
they had been deceived. 

The next point to be considered is the adver- 
sary. In the great games, a captain usually has 
some knowledge of his rivals' strength and re- 
sources before he faces them on the field. Even 
though he may not have this knowledge, fifteen 

219 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

minutes of play ought to give him a fairly accu- 
rate idea of the weaknesses and strong points of 
his adversary. It then remains for him to take 
advantage of this knowledge. It is well nigh a 
rule, so common is it, that a team has a strong 
side and a weak one. Without intention, this state 
of affairs comes to exist toward the end of a sea- 
son. At this weak side of the opponents, then, 
must the early efforts of a team be directed. 
When a punt becomes necessary, let the ball be 
driven over on that side. When an opposing run- 
ner comes, force him in that direction. Keep a 
steady press upon the weak side, and before the 
game is half over the result will be most marked. 

Next, if the opponents in the line prove to be 
high tacklers, a captain should make constant use 
of his low runners, ' ' bucking the line ' ' hard and 
often. If the opposing backs are new or green 
men, he should see that they have plenty of kicks 
to catch. 

Another important point is to make the most of 
any natural advantages, existing at the moment, 
in the force and direction of the wind, the slant 
and condition of the ground, and the position of 
the sun. These are elements of success which no 
team can afford to ignore. In the days of two 
forty-five minute halves the writer has seen a 
team start out with a strong wind and the sun at 

220 



GENEBAL STRATEGY 

their backs, and actually throw away half an hour 
of the first three quarters by a running game with- 
out score. Then, evidently realizing their mis- 
take, they began to kick, and succeeded in making 
two goals in the remaining fifteen minutes. 
Whenever a favorable wind is anything more than 
moderate, a captain is inexcusable who exhausts 
his men by holding too closely to his running 
game, no matter if his runners be excellent. A 
wind which blows diagonally across the field is by 
no means to be despised; for if a captain will 
work the ball to the windward side, on his runs 
and passes, his kicking will be greatly assisted. 
The sun, too, plays an important part, particu- 
larly when it is low in the horizon so that a low 
punt, driven hard at the half-back, forces him to 
face directly at the sun in making the catch. 

Regarding the general conduct of a final game, 
or the one upon which depends the championship : 

From the less important minor games, and from 
the daily practice, the captain has learned not 
only the caliber of his team, but also their strong- 
est and weakest plays. Now comes a most diffi- 
cult act for any captain, namely, the elimination 
of all plays that are not sufficiently well executed 
by his men to be classed on the average as success- 
ful plays. Many plays that are peculiarly success- 
ful against weaker teams are, from their very 

223 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

nature, useless against well-disciplined opponents. 
Such plays must be classed witli the unsuccessful 
ones, and must not be used in the critical game. 
The object of eliminating all these plays is two- 
fold. Certain ones of them must be given up be- 
cause they would risk the loss of the ball; and 
others because they would needlessly exhaust the 
men. As an illustration, let us take the play of 
short double passes when running. This has al- 
ways been a tempting play. It appears scientific 
and skilful. It gains distance rapidly, and against 
a weak team gives the team practising it an ap- 
pearance of superiority not to be denied. The 
reason for this is that a weak or undisciplined 
team take it for granted that they must all make 
for the man who has the ball, and there is, there- 
fore, a rush of several men at the runner. He 
passes the ball and they all dash after it again. 
This work quickly tells upon them, and they be- 
come tired out and discouraged, so that the run- 
ners have everything their own way. With a thor- 
oughly disciplined team all this is changed. One 
or two men may tackle together, but the line as 
a whole remains steady, and when the runner 
passes the ball the man receiving it has a tackier 
upon him almost at once, so that he too is com- 
pelled to pass the ball to still another, who may 
expect a similar fate. As all this passing must 

224 



GENEEAL STRATEGY 

be rapid, and generally backward, nothing is 
gained, but, on the contrary, some ground is lost. 
In addition to this, there is always the chance — 
and by no means a small one — of losing the ball 
in this quick passing. 

Another illustration is the case of long end 
throwing, or passing the ball to a runner stationed 
well out on the side of the field. This play is 
unquestionably strong against rushers who bunch 
toward the ball, and in the smaller games it has 
resulted in many a touch-down. Against veterans, 
however, the play fails, because both the end and 
tackle are on the alert and carefully guarding any 
player who is stationed at the end. By the time 
the ball reaches him one or the other of these men 
is so close to him that he fails to get a fair start 
and is usually downed in his tracks. Then, too, 
it will sometimes happen that an unusually watch- 
ful and agile tackle will jump through and actually 
catch the pass before it reaches the runner. Such 
a catastrophe has too severe consequences to make 
the risking of it otherwise than an extremely 
doubtful venture. A man who thus gets the ball 
is in a fair way to realize a touch-down from it, 
for the only player who has a good chance at him 
is the back, and the best tackier on a field must 
have an unequal chance against a runner who has 
the entire breadth of the field in which to dodge 

225 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

him. Yet again, the runner to whom the pass is 
made may muff the ball. This, although not 
nearly so serious as an intercepted pass, always 
results in loss of ground and sometimes loss of 
the ball as well. 

The consideration of such plays as the two men- 
tioned gives one a fair insight into the methods by 
which the captain must weigh each play before 
entering a game of importance with rivals who in 
skill, strength, and strategy are presumably the 
equal of his team. 



226 



CHAPTER VI 

THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

WHILE the game lias in the last ten years 
grown rapidly in popular favor, it would 
not be fair to suppose that all of the thirty or 
forty thousand spectators who gather to witness 
one of the great matches have clearly defined 
ideas of the rules which govern the contest. 
Many of the technical terms they hear used are 
also Greek to them, and it would undoubtedly add 
to their enjoyment of the game to give a few clues 
to chief plays of interest. 

While awaiting the advent of the players, one 
looks down on the field and sees a rectangular 
space a little over a hundred yards long and a 
trifle more than fifty yards wide, striped trans- 
versely with white lines, which give it the aspect 
of a huge gridiron. These lines are five yards 
apart, and their only purpose is to assist the 
referee in judging distances. There is a rule 
which says that in three attempts a side must ad- 
vance the ball ten yards under penalty of sur- 
rendering it to the opponents. The field is there- 

227 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

fore marked out with these five-yard lines, by 
means of which the referee can readily tell the 
distance made at each attempt. The gallows-like 
arrangements at the ends of the field are the goal- 
posts, and in order to score a goal the ball mnst 
be kicked over a cross-bar extending between the 
posts by any kind of a kick except a '' punt." 
That is, it must be by a " drop-kick," which is 
made by letting the ball fall from the hand and 
kicking it as it rises from the ground; by a 
" place-kick," which is from a position of rest 
on the ground; or finally even from a rolling 
kick. A punt is a kick made by dropping the ball 
from the hand and kicking it before it strikes 
the ground, and such a kick can under no cir- 
cumstances score a goal.. Scoring is only pos- 
sible at the ends of the field, and all the work 
one sees performed in the middle of the ground 
is only the struggle to get the ball to the goal. 
Players to be eligible to take the ball must be 
" on-side," that is between the ball and their 
own goal. A fair catch may be made of an oppo- 
nent's kick provided the catcher makes a signal 
of his intention by raising his hand in the air. If 
he does not do this he may be tackled and thrown 
as soon as the ball touches him. The attacking 
side, the side in possession of the ball, may not 
use their hands or arms on opponents, but the 

228 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

opponents may use their hands or arms to break 
through or get the runner. The attacking side 
must have seven men on the line of scrimmage 
that is the forward line. Any of the four men in 
their back field may make a forward pass provided 
he is five yards back of the line of scrimmage 
when making it and it must be caught by one of 
the men on his end of the line or a man who was 
in the back field when the ball was put in play. 
Any man who is five yards back of the line of 
scrimmage may kick the ball. This is usually 
done on the third down. Such then is the general 
plan of the game which is ruled over by four offi- 
cials, the referee, umpire, field judge and lines- 
man. 

THE FIELD AND MATERIALS 

As this book may fall into the hands of boys 
who have the wish and the spirit to become foot- 
ball players, but who do not enjoy the advantages 
of those in large preparatory schools or colleges, 
I shall take up the very beginning, and speak of 
the laying-out of the field, as well as the make- 
shifts sometimes rendered necessary. The ground 
for a field ought to be 400 feet long by 200 feet 
wide, although the field of play of regulation size 
is only 330 feet long and 160 feet wide. The addi- 
tional distance at the ends is desirable to allow 

229 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

space for touch-downs and for kicks crossing the 
goal-line. The space beyond the sides, or touch 
lines, is advisable in order that a player may not, 
when forced into touch, be pushed against a fence, 
and so run the risk of an injury. If it be impos- 
sible to get a field allowing space at the ends and 
sides, it is better to cut down a little from the 
regulation measurements in laying it out, so as 
to allow at least ten feet at the ends and eight feet 
at the sides. Having marked out the outer bound- 
aries with plainly appearing lime lines, the mark- 
ing of the transverse lines is next in order. These 
run across the field from side to side at every five 
yards, thus making 21 lines between the ends, or, 
counting the end lines, 23 in all. Of these the 
25-yard lines — that is, the fifth one out from each 
goal — should be broader than the other, to dis- 
tinguish the line of kick-out. Also the middle of 
the field — that is, the center of the eleventh five- 
yard line — should be marked with a broad white 
spot to indicate the place of kick-off. The easiest 
and most satisfactory way to do this marking is, 
after the outer boundary lines are made, to stretch 
the tape down each side line, and drive small 
stakes every five yards. Then let two boys hold 
a string from one stake to the opposite one while 
the marker is run over the string. The setting up 
of the goal-posts is the next undertaking, and is 

230 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

not an easy matter. To determine tlieir position 
stretch the tape across the end of the field, and 
mark the middle of the end line — that is, 80 feet 
from each side. Then measure off each way a 
distance of 9 feet 3 inches, and the two points for 
the posts will be thus determined. The posts 
themselves may be of any material available, and 
of any size timber; but the best post is of cedar 
or chestnut, — although pine will answer, — ta- 
pering slightly, and about four inches by three 
inches at the base. The posts should be sufficiently 
long, so that, when set securely into the ground, 
they shall stand over 20 feet high. A cross-bar, 
sufficiently over 18 feet 6 inches long to allow for 
its lap, should be fastened across these posts ten 
feet from the ground-level — that is, so that when 
set up, the upright posts shall be exactly 18 feet 
6 inches apart, and the cross-bar ten feet from the 
ground. I have given these measurements in this 
way because it will be found much more conve- 
nient to cut the posts to the proper height, and 
secure the cross-bars, before the posts are set up 
in the ground. The posts should have no braces 
attached to them, but be made firm by sinking 
them, and packing them well down into the ground. 
It is dangerous to put braces upon them, because 
the players may trip over them, or be forced 
against them, and so sustain serious injury. The 

233 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

field having been marked out, and the goal-posts 
erected, one at each end as above described, the 
ball must be next considered. This unfortunately 
cannot be of home manufacture to advantage. On 
account of the skill to be acquired in properly- 
handling and kicking it, it is best that players 
should never use anything but the regulation ball. 
It is possible, however, to secure second-hand balls 
from almost any of the crack teams, and that too 
at a considerable reduction from the cost price. 
The regulation ball is of the size No. 5, and the 
English ball was formerly standard; but within 
the last years the Intercollegiate Association has 
accepted an American ball made by Spalding, 
''J 5." 

Few people understand how a foot-ball field is 
taken care of and nursed to be in condition for 
one of the big games. During the spring and sum- 
mer it is seeded, parts of it are turfed, it is care- 
fully watered, in many cases being under the 
direct charge of experts from an Agricultural 
Experiment Station, and everything is done to 
prepare it for the gruelling work to which it must 
be submitted during the two months of actual play. 
For it must be remembered that the biting of 
leather cross-pieces on the sole of shoes worn by 
the giants of 200 lbs. or over pushing, pulling and 
lunging in a daily desperate encounter puts a 

234 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

severe strain upon tlie turf. Probably if there 
were one scrimmage on tbe reader's front lawn 
by twenty-two of these players, he would have a 
clearer idea of what the turf must be prepared to 
stand. The grass is left a little long in the fall 
so as to make a softer bed for falling players, 
but it soon loses its softness and begins to take 
on a harder, baked condition, and then lucky is 
the gridiron that does not suffer by either being 
played upon during or immediately after a heavy 
rain, for it is when the ground is softened up and 
wet that these cross-pieces tear the turf in a most 
exasperating manner. However, with all this care, 
some parts are worn pretty smooth before the 
time of the big game. Then, after November 
has come in, it is necessary to take some care 
regarding frost and particularly during the few 
days previous to a big contest. Then the gridiron 
is covered deep with straw over night to keep out 
frost or snow, if it should fall, and all this straw 
is raked off for the practice and put on again at 
night. Out in Minnesota, they have a specially 
designed cart rake for this purpose which enables 
them to perform the work of clearing and spread- 
ing with only one man in an hour or two, whereas 
in most of the Eastern fields it is a longer job 
and requires more men. 



235 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

THE COSTUME 

I have elsewhere commented at length upon the 
clothing, but I want to add a word about the use 
of protecting material. There is no reason why 
a foot-ball player should subject himself to the 
needless ache of old scrapes and bruises, as he did 
some years ago. If it added anything to the value 
of the sport, he might continue to suffer; but it 
does not. Therefore I would say most emphatic- 
ally that if a player receives a bruise or scrape 
on the shin, he had better put on a shin-guard at 
once, and continue to wear it at least until the need 
for it is past. If his knees are scraped or bruised 
he should have a few pieces of sponge sewed into 
the knees of his trousers, and he will find that the 
hurt will not trouble him further, and will speed- 
ily get well. Any severe bruise in the muscles of 
the leg should be protected until the soreness dis- 
appears. An injury to the nose or mouth can be 
protected by the use of a nose-guard, and bruises 
on the head by padding the cap. Similarly a pad 
is worn over a tender ear, and held in place by 
a band of surgeon's plaster over the forehead. 
All this may give the casual reader a false impres- 
sion of the accidents of the game; but these 
bruises and scratches are not serious, and the 
reason for thus protecting the injured member is 

236 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

not that the injury itself is of any moment, but 
that the player may still enjoy his sport without 
the irritation caused by some of these slight mis- 
haps. . 

In the earlier days of foot-ball the old-fashioned 
woolen jersey gave place, in great measure, to the 
less comfortable but more serviceable canvas 
jacket. This change was first made by a team of 
Trinity College, of Hartford. There had been a 
few rumors afloat to the effect that there was a 
new foot-ball garment, made of canvas, which ren- 
dered it almost impossible to catch or hold the 
wearer. No one at the other colleges had paid 
much attention to this report, and it was not until 
the Trinity team stepped out of their dressing- 
rooms at Hamilton Park, that the Yale men first 
saw the new canvas jackets. Strange enough they 
appeared in those early days, too, as the Trinity 
eleven marched out on the field in their white 
jackets laced up in front. It gave them quite a 
military air, for the jackets were cut in the bobtail 
fashion of the cadets'. The men in blue looked 
contemptuously down on the innovation upon the 
regulation jersey, and it was not until they had 
played for nearly half an hour, and had had many 
Trinity players slip through their fingers, that 
they were ready to admit that there was some vir- 
tue in the jacket. The Trinity men, bound to give 

239 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

the new costume a fair trial, had brought some 
grease out with them, and each jacket had been 
thoroughly besmeared. They were therefore as 
difficult to grasp as eels, and it was not untU the 
Yale men had counteracted this by grasping great 
handfuls of sand that they were able to do any- 
thing like successful tackling. This, then, was the 
beginning of the canvas jacket, and although the 
greasing process was not continued (in fact, it was 
stopped by the insertion of a rule forbidding it), 
the jacket itself was a true improvement, and it 
was not long before all the teams were wearing 
them. The superiority of the canvas jacket over 
the jersey lies in the fact that it gives much less 
hold for the fingers of the tackier, and also that it 
does not keep stretching until it offers an easy 
grasp, as does the jersey. Many men now wear 
jerseys with only parts of canvas jackets ex- 
posed. 

The next article of the foot-baller's costume 
which demanded particular attention was the 
shoe. Probably, in spite of all the trials and the 
great exercise of inventive faculty bestowed upon 
the sole of a foot-ball man's shoe, there is next 
to leather spikes nothing better than simple, old- 
fashioned straight cross-leather strips. They are 
shown in diagram I of the accompanying cut. One 
of the earliest plans was to lay out these strips 

240 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

in various different lines across the sole, in order 
to present an edge no matter in what direction 
the foot was turned. This gave rise to as many- 
styles as there were men on a team. The cuts 
show a few of these (diagrams II, III, IV, V). 



Rubber soles were also tried, but they proved 
heavy, and when the ground was wet they did not 
catch as well as the leather strips. "We have not 
yet seen a trial made of the felt soles which are 
now used in tennis, but these probably would not 
answer for kicking, as they would not be suf- 
ficiently stiff. 

A recent improvement in shoes has been the 
introduction of an ankle-supporter of leather, 
which, having been tried by the Yale team for 
several years, has proved almost a complete safe- 
guard against sprained ankles. It consists simply 
of a thin anklet going about the ankle and under 
the instep, and lacing tightly. It may be attached 
to the shoe or not, but always goes inside. An- 
other improvement has been in the form of leather 

241 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

or rubber spikes, supplanting the old-fa sliioned 
straight strip across the shoe. These offer a bet- 
ter hold for the runner, and do not require renewal 
any oftener than the old strip. 

The trousers also have quite a history. At first, 
several of the teams wore woven knickerbockers 
made of the same material as the jersey. These 
fitted them tight to the skin, and although they 
offered very little obstruction to the freedom of 
a man's gait, they neither were things of beauty 
nor did they prove much of a joy to the wearers ; 
for when a hole was once started, it spread most 
amazingly. Another serious feature was, that 
when a game was played on frozen ground every 
tumble and slide left its mark not only on the 
trousers, but also on the player's skin beneath, 
as these trunks offered almost no protection. The 
next remove from these '' tights," as they were 
expressively called, was to flannel knickerbockers. 
These prevailed for a season, but they were not 
stout enough for the rough work of the game, and 
many a youth has needlessly enlisted the sym- 
pathy of the tender hearts in the audience, when 
his comrades gathered about him and bore him 
from the field, only, however, to reappear again — 
such a plucky young man ! — in a few moments. 
Some of the more knowing ones noticed that the 
trousers worn by the young man on his second 

242 




S H 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

appearance were not the same as those in which 
he began the game. Corduroy was tried with no 
better results than flanneL The most approved 
cloth no\^ in use among the players is a sort of 
heavy fustian, and even these are thickly padded 
at the knees and along the sides of the thighs. 

The caps ran through a series of changes from 
a little skull-cap to the long-tasseled affair called 
a toboggan toque. The only really serviceable in- 
novation was a cap with a broad visor, to be worn 
by the backs and half-backs when facing the sun. 
The stockings are thicker than they used to be, 
but otherwise there has been no change. The foot- 
ball player of to-day puts on a suit of flannels 
underneath his uniform, and if his canvas jacket 
is a little loose or the day cold, he wears a jersey 
next the jacket on the inside. 

His shoes are of stout leather with leather 
spikes on the soles; and, if they have become 
a little stretched from constant use, an extra pair 
of socks underneath the woolen ones gives his 
feet a more comfortable feeling. 

He is better dressed to avoid bruises than the 
old-time player, but the canvas jacket is hard to 
play in, and such men as the quarter-back, who 
have little opportunity to make runs, but much 
stooping to do, still cling to the jersey. The back 
also can dispense with the canvas jacket if he finds 

245 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

it very irksome, but as a rule every one but tlie 
quarter is better dressed for service if in canvas 
rather than a jersey. It will be seen clothing is 
a very considerable factor in the game of foot- 
ball. The history of the uniform is interesting, 
but the main feature about it must always be its 
special adaptability. The canvas jacket was a 
remarkable garment for some purposes. A prop- 
erly fitted jacket of this kind makes a man very 
difficult to tackle. The writer has one in his pos- 
session that he wore for three years because it 
was so effective in this way. It happened to be a 
perfect fit for the purpose, for when standing per- 
fectly erect there was just a little slackness in the 
back which became practically skin tight, not only 
across the shoulders, but from the shoulders down 
about to the elbow and wrist as soon as the back 
was bowed and the arms brought together, as in 
grasping the ball. A jacket a little tighter would 
have been undesirable, while a little looser would 
hardly have served a similar purpose. On ac- 
count of the uncomf ortableness of canvas for some 
players, these jackets gave place to jerseys, or a 
combination of jersey and jacket. The trousers 
are now of heavy material, well padded, and even 
made in conjunction with the elastic belt or body 
of the suit so that no leather belt is necessary. 
These trousers lace up instead of button. 

246 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TEAINING- 

Shin guards are sometimes worn either inside 
or outside of the stockings. The stockings are of 
heavy wool, and the shoes of leather, the kickers 
having specially made boxed toed shoes. 

DIET 

To come to the more particular points of the 
diet and exercise suitable for a foot-ball player. 
There is probably nothing that is quite so injuri- 
ous to the work of a good foot-ball player as to 
have the digestion out of order. In the old days, 
diet was very strict, foolishly so, and the men 
became very irritable under it. Especially was 
this the case when they were deprived of a suit- 
able amount of liquid. Now-a-days everything is 
changed and the diet is a liberal one, and the men 
are kept in far better condition with less wear and 
tear upon nerves and temper. But this is not to 
say that the matter of diet should be left to any 
man's fancy, for there are too many boys who 
would fancy the wrong things. Plain, simple food, 
and good quarters to eat it in should be the rule 
and the luncheons, that is provided the team prac- 
tices early in the afternoon, should be light. 
There is no reason why men in usual good health, 
of foot-ball age, should not be easily kept in good 
condition, particularly as this is the time of year 
when the weather is especially propitious; the 

247 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

gradual increasing cold of autumn, the bright 
crisp days, the short, vigorous, snappy exercise 
with a spice of interest and strategy about it, 
usually tends to give men a good appetite and 
sound, refreshing sleep. In fact, it is almost usu- 
ally the case that foot-ball men gain markedly in 
strength and weight under the training season, 
although toward the end the nervous tension may 
cause some falling off in weight as may also in- 
tense competition between two or three men for a 
position. Long experience has shown that men 
who are training for this sport must not be 
brought down too fine. They should be under- 
trained rather than overtrained. The reason for 
this is that an overtrained man becomes too deli- 
cate for the rough, hard work, and perceptibly 
loses his vigor after a few sharp struggles. The 
season of the year is favorable to good work, and 
it is not difficult to keep men in shape. They 
should be given a hearty breakfast of the regula- 
tion steaks, chops, stale bread ; nor will a cup of 
coffee hurt a man who has always been in the 
habit of having it. Fruit also can be had in the 
early part of the season, and it is an excellent 
thing to begin the breakfast. About ten or eleven 
o'clock the men should practise for a half -hour 
or so. The rushers should be made to pass the 
ball, fall on it when it is rolling along the ground, 

248 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAININa 

and catch, short high kicks. They should also be 
put through some of their plays by signal. The 
half-backs and back should practise punting and 
drop-kicking, not failing to do some place-kicking 
as well. The quarter-back should pass the ball 
for them, and also do some passing on his own 
account in order to increase the rapidity of his 
throwing as well as the distance to which he can 
pass the ball. The half-backs and back should be 
made to take all the fly-catching they have time 
for, and it is best to have some one running 
toward them while they are performing the catch, 
that they may become accustomed to it. A very 
light lunch should be served at about one o 'clock. 
It should consist of cold meats, toast, warm pota- 
toes, eggs if agreeable; in fact, no great restric- 
tion should be placed upon the appetite of the 
men at any of the meals, except where certain 
things manifestly disagree with certain individ- 
uals. Nothing very hearty should be given them 
at noon, however. At half -past two — or, better, 
at three — they should start for the grounds, and 
then play against a scrub team for an hour and 
a half. When they have had their baths, and been 
well rubbed down, it is about five o'clock, and in 
an hour from that time they will eat more dinner 
than any other set of men in training. No alco- 
holic beverages are permissible except for par- 

249 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

ticular cases — as for a man who is getting too 
' ^ fine ' ' a little ale is not ont of the way and may 
give him a better appetite and better night's rest. 
Plenty of sleep is indispensable. One other feature 
should be mentioned, which is, that as the rule for 
foot-ball games is " play, rain or shine," a team 
must practise in bad weather. Notwithstanding 
the fact that one would naturally predict colds for 
the men from practice in the rain, experience 
teaches quite the opposite. A cold is almost un- 
heard of, and when it does occur is always trace- 
able directly to some foolish exposure after the 
playing is over; as, for instance, remaining in 
the wet clothes. This must on no account be al- 
lowed. If the men are put into their baths, and 
dressed immediately after in warm, dry clothes, 
they will never take cold. 

The above points are the vital ones in foot-ball 
training, and give a general view of the course to 
be pursued. The smaller technicalities every cap- 
tain must discover for himself. 



THE PLAYEES 

As to the game itself, it often happens, not only 
at small towns, but even at schools, — and in my 
time I have known it to happen on the 'varsity 
field, — that there are not enough players to make 
up eleven on a side. Many times the sport is not 

250 ^ 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

■undertaken because it is not possible to be sure 
of twenty-two men. Now, this is a great mistake ; 
for even if short six men, almost all the plays can 
be effected, and the sport be just as enjoyable and 
equally good practice. If short one man on a side, 
drop out a half or a back, playing with but two 
men behind the quarter; if short two men on a 
side, drop the half or back and one rusher; if 
short three men on a side, drop the half or back 
and two rushers. The game can be played by still 
smaller numbers in like fashion; but less than 
eight on a side breaks up the method materially. 
To consider the other side of the question, which 
now is by far the more common in the large 
schools and colleges — namely, how to use more 
than twenty-two men. The side which opposes 
the 'varsity — ^the scrub side, as it is called — 
in the old days was wont to make up by numbers, 
in the days of early practice, what it lacked in 
physique and skill. The second eleven, as it is 
called, even though composed of more than eleven 
players, should be under the direction of a com- 
petent captain, who handles them as the captain 
or coach handles the 'varsity. The great value of 
the second eleven depends upon the ability of its 
captain, and a large proportion of the strength 
and skill of the 'varsity comes directly from the 
opposition which the second eleven can daily offer. 

251 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

In the early days of practice, as I say, the numbers 
of the second eleven can be almost unlimited — 
that is, the captain may play three, or even four, 
extra men in the line, and four, or even more, ex- 
tra behind it. But after a time, when team play 
for the 'varsity begins, it is well not to give the 
second eleven more than two extra men in the 
line, although there may still be kept several extra 
men behind it, as halves and backs. With the last 
week or two of practice, no extra man should be 
allowed in the line, and only one extra half or 
back. Sometimes it is also advisable, particularly 
if the second eleven is exceptionally strong, to play 
half an hour each day of the last week or so with 
but eleven men, so that the 'varsity may make 
a fair test of all its trick plays and combina- 
tions, and learn what the difficulties may be in 
carrying them out against the regular number of 
players. 

There is one other way of practising a 'varsity 
team; for instance, when, after mid-season, they 
have become so strong in their playing as to make 
it impossible to give them really hard work with- 
out adding to the number of players upon the 
scrub side. This method is one of the most effect- 
ive I know of when there is a ground admitting 
of it. I refer to practising upon a field not level 
and having the 'varsity team play up hill. The 

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THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TEAINING 

great advantage of this is that it preserves the 
conditions existing in a match of an equal number 
of men and yet gives the scrub side the advantage 
in all pushing and mass plays. I have seen a 
team trained upon such a ground, and found that 
the advantage of it was marked. 

THE GOOD POOT-BALL PLAYEE 

" What makes a good foot-ball player! " is a 
question asked over and over again. Many are 
the answers given, but no answer is correct that 
does not contain the word " pluck." The same 
elements that go to make up excellence in any of 
the other field sports are requisite in foot-ball; 
but while in certain of the others that peculiar 
type of courage called pluck is required only in a 
moderate degree, in foot-ball it is absolutely in- 
dispensable. Many a man has said: '' Oh! I am 
too small to play foot-ball; I couldn't get on the 
team." Such a man makes a mistake. Look at 
the records of our players, and see how full they 
are of the names of small men. Withington, Gush- 
ing, Harding, Hodge, Beecher, Eckersall, and 
twenty others, have played weighing under a hun- 
dred and forty ! Nor has it been that their deeds 
have been remembered because performed by such 
small men. These men made points as well as rep- 
utations. There is a place on the foot-ball field for 

255 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

a man, no matter what he weighs ; and that brings 
to mind a remarkable pair of boys and what they 
did for a Yale team at one time. One was the son 
of a United States senator from Massachusetts, 
and the other a younger brother of a well-known 
Brooklyn lawyer. They were classmates at Yale, 
and had done more or less foot-ball work during 
the course. These two men weighed about a hun- 
dred and twenty-five pounds apiece, or together 
a little over the weight of the 'varsity snap-back. 
In that year the 'varsity team was suffering from 
a combination of two disorders — over-confidence 
and lack of strong practice. None knew this bet- 
ter than these two little chaps, for they understood 
the game thoroughly. One day, then, they ap- 
peared at the field in their foot-ball toggery, and 
without assistance from the 'varsity captain set at 
once to work upon organizing the '' scrub side," 
as the outside or irregular players are called. 
One of them played center and the other quarter, 
and it was not many days before the scrub side 
began to have a game and a way of its own. The 
overfed, underworked university players began to 
find that they couldn't have things all their own 
way. Such tricks were played upon them that 
they were forced to awake from their apathy. 
These two boys began to show them the way to 
make use of brains against weight and strength, 

256 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

and tlie scrub side, that a week or two before had 
been unable to hold the 'varsity even enough to 
make the contest interesting, actually had the au- 
dacity to score against them once or twice every 
afternoon. How those two ever got such work out 
of the rabble they had to handle, no one knows to 
this day; but it was the making of the 'varsity 
team, for it speedily developed under this ex- 
perience into one of Yale's strongest teams, 
and I have often heard one of that team re- 
mark since that he'd rather play against any 
team in the Association than against the 
' ' scrubs ' ' led by ' ' Pop ' ' Jenks and ' ' Timmy ' ' 
Dawes. 

This brings us to another quality: the brains 
of a team. That team is the best which has the 
most brains. Foot-ball is, even now, an undevel- 
oped sport. There is room for an almost infinite 
number of as yet unthought-of plays. Every sea- 
son brings forward many new ones. If a player 
wishes to devote a little of his spare time to a 
fascinating amusement, let him take pencil and 
paper and plan out combinations in the evening, 
and try them the next day. He will soon find that 
he is bringing out not only new but successful 
plays. Some think that the captain of the 'varsity 
team is the only one who has an opportunity to 
try this ; but if two or three on the scrub side will 

257 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

make the attempt they will find that a 'varsity 
team is no more proof against a new scheme than 
the veriest scrub team in existence. In fact, often- 
times the 'varsity players are so sublime in their 
own consciousness of superiority that they are the 
simplest men on the field to lead into traps and 
defeat by a little exercise of ingenuity. If a boy 
at school isn't on the first team, he can get to- 
gether a few men of the second team and have the 
satisfaction of actually showing his betters how 
to play. 

'' Play not for gain but sport," is thoroughly 
sound ; but it means play honestly and hard, not 
listlessly and carelessly, and make it your sport to 
win. Then if you lose, put a good face on it; but 
go home and think out a way to win next time. 
Brains will beat brute strength every time if you 
give them fair play. 

Endurance is another element of success. 
Plenty of dash when it is necessary, but behind 
it there must be the steady, even, staying quali- 
ties. For these, good training is chiefly respon- 
sible; because, although natural endurance does 
exist in some men, it is not common, while the en- 
durance of well-trained men is a thing that can be 
relied upon with confidence. 

A direct case in point was a victory of Prince- 
ton over Yale in 1878. Upon the Yale team were 

258 




AN END RUN 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

some three or four men — upper class men — who 
thought that they had done enough training in 
former years, and they therefore made but a pre- 
tense of following out the rules of strict training. 
The example of these men affected several of the 
other players to such an extent that there was 
great laxity. Up to the time of the final contest, 
this team had performed well, and it was generally 
believed that they would have no great difficulty 
in defeating Princeton. 

In the first half of the game they pressed the 
Orange men hard, and several times all but scored. 
In the dressing-room at intermission there was a 
general impression that, with the wind, which 
would be in Yale's favor the second half, they 
must surely win. The second half began, and it 
was not many minutes before the Yale men found 
themselves steadily losing ground. There was in 
the Princeton runners a resistless force that kept 
Yale retreating nearer and nearer to her own 
goal. At last, by a brilliant play, Princeton suc- 
ceeded in making a touch-down from which a goal 
was kicked. During the remainder of the game, 
Princeton, although making no further score, held 
Yale fast down inside the twenty-five-yard line, 
and the Blue went back to New Haven with a very 
salutary lesson on the evil of neglecting the laws 
of training. 

261 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

These are laws wMcli no foot-ball player can 
afford to ignore. 

There are two things to be borne in mind about 
conditioning the foot-ball player, first his physical 
side, and the other his mental side. A man may 
be physically in first class shape and yet be prac- 
tically useless to his side, just as we all know that 
a man who knows how he ought to play may be 
physically incapacitated from carrying out the 
orders of his brain. 

EAELY TRAINING 

The physical side we have treated of somewhat 
in training and diet, but there are a few other 
added cautions to bear in mind. In the first place, 
men ought to take some reasonable care of them- 
selves before they come back in the fall, and the 
captain and coach should see that they are written 
to and this thing impressed upon them. A man 
has no business to come back in such a condition 
that he is unable to run once around the field at a 
moderate pace without a manifest case of ^' bel- 
lows to mend, ' ' and yet there are plenty of candi- 
dates who show up in this condition and who are a 
nuisance to themselves and to their coaches for a 
while simply on account of their carelessness dur- 
ing the latter part of their vacation. 

It would be a foolish coach who would send nis 
262 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TEAINING 

men into a line-up tlie first day they appear on the 
field. In fact, very few coaches now scrimmage 
their men nntil they have had them at work in a 
general way for a week or ten days. Then they 
begin with a very few minutes and work up gradu- 
ally. If this were not done, there would be a great 
many accidents, and very likely good men would 
be out for a season. In many institutions spring 
practice is also indulged in. This is not particu- 
larly valuable for anything in the line of develop- 
ment of team play, but it is excellent practice for 
the kickers and good preparation for quarters and 
coaching. 

But to return to the fall. After the men have 
reached the point of scrimmaging, the early prac- 
tice will have put' them in good shape as far as 
signal work is concerned for simple plays. They 
are driven along with this kind of work for a day 
or two, and by this time comes their first game. 
From that time on, the season is a rush of work 
in which every hour, and in fact almost every 
minute counts. The foot-ball season is the short- 
est of that of any sport, and it seems as if more 
must be done in a limited time than could be asked 
of any ordinary human being. The men must be 
taught individual work, and then moulded into a 
team, the team must be taught its plays, faulty 
execution must be patched up, and all sorts of in- 

263 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

dividual playing the drop-kicking, punting, pass- 
ing, snapping the ball back, place-kicking, holding 
the ball and the like must be practiced up to the 
point of finished skill, and then just before the 
important games, the weak places must be cut 
out, strong places polished to smoothness, and all 
the time substitutes prepared for their position, 
and the general physical welfare of the team 
watched with the closest scrutiny. 

THE MElSTTAli SIDE 

The mental side of it has a good deal of atten- 
tion off the field. The men are shown plays laid 
out on blackboards in the evenings. They are 
taught to ask questions about their own duties 
and special plays, and they have an opportunity 
to see what the general strategy of the play is 
like. They are also talked to by the coaches in the 
evenings and generally prepared for the work of 
the afternoon's practice. Then, further, they are 
usually put through signal practice in the evening, 
as new plays require special signal work and 
oftentimes old sets of signals are replaced by new. 

The forward pass came into the American In- 
tercollegiate game of foot-ball something over 
four years ago. It was a makeshift designed to 
bolster up an attack which it was felt had been so 
radically weakened that it needed something of 

264 



.^^•"OtU 






THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAININa 

this nature. It was also in the line of an answer 
to the appeal of many, that they would like to see 
the ball oftener. Forward passing is a Rugby 
heresy. The cardinal rule in Rugby always was 
that the ball must neVer be passed in the direction 
of the opponents' goal. It might be passed di- 
rectly across the field, or back, but never forward. 
Moreover, the rules of on and off side in Rugby 
preclude the possibility of a man receiving a ball 
passed from one of his own players if he, the 
recipient of the ball, was ahead of the ball. 
Hence it was with feelings of considerable trep- 
idation that people who had studied Rugby foot- 
ball saw this innovation in the Rugby game. The 
writer's prediction was that within a year or two 
after its introduction it would become perfected 
to such an extent it would force the defending side 
to withdraw their half-backs from their position 
of protecting the tackles, and that the second or 
third year would see these players at least eight 
yards back of the line of scrimmage; that when 
this happened there would no longer be any for- 
ward passing to speak of, but that the heaviest 
and most atrocious form of massed play that the 
game had ever seen would be- used on the thus 
defenseless tackles. Furthermore, that as soon as 
the teams learned that it would not pay to try to 
intercept the ball when the opponents made a f or- 

267 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

ward pass, it would be necessary for any team who 
practiced forward passing to supply an unlimited 
demand of end-rushers,, for almost every forward 
pass would mean the laying up of one or more of 
these players. The average layman can easily un- 
derstand that these predictions were nothing re- 
markable in the way of prophecy, for it must be 
apparently patent to anyone that if, for instance, 
a base-ball were batted over the head of a center- 
fielder so that he turned and was running with the 
ball in an endeavor to catch it, and an opponent 
came out onto the field and dropped across this 
runner's knees, there would be an immediate va- 
cancy for a substitute center-fielder. 

Whether the Eules of 1910 will correct these 
evils, or prove too complicated to do so, is a ques- 
tion that at this writing has not been determined. 
An attempt has been made to preserve the for- 
ward pass, and it has rendered necessary a pretty 
complex set of rules and put a considerable strain 
upon officials. Nothing but the work of the season 
will disclose whether the play may thus be kept 
in the game. 

In the first year of the forward pass, Yale de- 
veloped a play described in another portion of 
this book, which was the best development of 
strategy in connection with the pass brought out 
through the season, and with it won the Harvard 

268 



THE FIELD, COSTUMES AND TRAINING 

game. In the following year, Michigan developed 
a still more elaborate forward pass, which was 
very spectacular and effective. In the year be- 
fore, the Indians developed excellent forward 
passing which proved too much for their oppo- 
nents until they met Princeton who had developed 
the defense, which consisted in taking care of the 
recipient. This put a stop to almost every chance 
that the Indian had, and it was that kind of de- 
fense which developed steadily, so that last year 
forward passing was very little used where this 
defense was practised, and when the passes were 
used the ends or backs usually suffered. 



269 



CHAPTEE VII 

THE DEVELOPMENT AND PLAY OF THE DIFFERENT 
POSITIONS 

TO understand the development of the individ- 
ual position in American foot-ball one must 
hark back to the original Rugby ' ' scrum. ' ' Foot- 
ball players of Great Britain, in spite of their 
great conservatism, have developed their scrum- 
mage slowly it is true but surely, so that it is 
better for any historian of the sport to go back to 
their game of the 70 's, for it was from this game 
that American foot-ball sprung. The Rugby 
Union rules of 1875 were adopted in that year 
between Yale and Harvard just as they stood. 
The " scrummage," which soon became " scrim- 
mage " to the Americans, playing as they did 
without tradition, proved entirely unsatisfactory. 
They endeavored to follow the Rugby Union rules 
exactly and with lowered heads they formed about 
the ball, and then endeavored by pushing and pull- 
ing each to drive it in the direction of the op- 
ponents' goal. Very soon, however, they discov- 
ered that success in their efforts along these lines 
was a very barren success, for the side which suc- 

270 



THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS 

ceeded in driving the ball through actually pre- 
sented the ball to the backs of the other side for 
a run out around the end. Naturally it was not 
long, as already stated in this volume, (for neither 
side would thus kick the ball through) until the 
play came to a standstill. Then a clever spirit 
found it possible to so place his foot upon the ball 
as to snap it backward instead of driving it 
through, and from this came the '' heeling out " 
which now characterizes both English and Ameri- 
can foot-ball. But the American was not content 
to rest at this point but further developed this 
snapping back, first with the foot, and later with 
the hand, and now with both hands. With this 
development came a still further specialization 
in the play, for the forward who was the most 
skilful in manipulating the ball became the center- 
rush, and to him was given the duty of always 
snapping the ball back. Then, as the two men 
on his right and left hand became his supporters 
and protectors to the back who received the ball, 
they became the guards, while the man who re- 
ceived the ball, instead of being one of the backs, 
came up closer to the line and became the quarter- 
back. From this point development was rapid, 
the end men on the line being called end-rushers, 
the men next to them soon acquired the name of 
tackles, while the back field divided itself into 

271 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

half-backs and full-back. As these divisions be- 
came more pronounced so did the duties of each 
man, and instead of a foot-ball player being able 
to go out and take any position, specialists were 
developed for each one of the places. Grradually 
the middle of the line became heavier and more 
powerful, while the ends and backs took on greater 
speed. Foot-ball became not foot-ball if one may 
understand by that term a game of kicking the 
ball, for only one or two men were developed into 
kickers, two or three others into runners, and the 
rest into bulwarks of protection, and the game of 
American Foot-ball became the most distinctly 
and definitely organized of any of the games of 
that character. 

Each position in the foot-ball field has certain 
special duties of its own. 

THE CEN-TEE 

The position of center has developed amazingly 
in the last ten years. Primarily his work was 
comparatively simple. He snapped the ball back 
to the quarter, and got in the way of the oppo- 
nents. On the defense, he pushed his opponent out 
of the way, or sprang through if he was particu- 
larly agile. "When the innovation was made in the 
play that necessitated his snapping the ball all the 
way back to the full-back for a kick, his province 

272 



THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS 

became more prominent, and it required a better 
man to fill the position. When, in addition to this, 
he was asked on defense to play a little back of the 
line and perform some half-back work as well, 
his duties became stil more arduous. Now that 
the quarter-back is permitted to run with the ball 
and cross the line of scrinrimage at any point, the 
center will indeed have his hands full, for watch- 
ing against this is an added responsibility which 
will fall not a little upon his shoulders. 

The general requirements for a center are that 
he shall be strong and powerful enough to resist 
plays jammed at the line behind an opposing 
guard and center, that he shall be active enough 
to take care of the two guard openings, and that 
on his own attack he is firm enough to hold his 
position well as he snaps the ball back to the 
quarter. Then for general skill, he should be able 
to make a thoroughly satisfactory pass for a kick, 
and also do good passing for runs by half-backs, 
that is, without passing the ball through the 
quarter. The center should also be strong on his 
legs, and by constant practice work up a firm stand 
or poise, for it is often desirable that the center 
should not have his rear foot too far back because 
standing in this knifelike position he offers less 
protection. 

In the old days there used to be a belief that 
273 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

the center must be a tremendously large and 
heavy man; and it is quite true that for a period 
of years the man who formed the keystone in that 
arch must, of necessity, be heavy and powerful. 
Yet there were men who played the position in 
excellent form who did not come up to these re- 
quirements. Such men were men who weighed 
close to 180 lbs. at least and who were not liable 
to overtraining and going fine, and who had ex- 
traordinary activity. 

With the new rules forbidding pushing and 
pulling, and hence cutting down somewhat the 
concentrated weight in the force of an attack, the 
center has a still greater opportunity for activity 
and somewhat less a demand for avoirdupois. It 
is doubtful, however, if under any system of foot- 
ball that even resembles the American Intercol- 
legiate we shall ever reach the point where pounds 
are not an advantage in this middle position 
in the line. In the first place, the center must 
form some sort of a bulwark, and when he is in a 
. position of just having snapped the ball back he 
requires some weight to withstand a sudden push 
of an opponent. Moreover on defense, that is 
when not in possession of the ball, weight com- 
bined with activity is very essential in forcing a 
way through the line to get at the runner. 

The difference in style of play between a very 
274 



M > 
O PI 



n H 

M > 

H n 

o ?; 




THE DIFFEEENT POSITIONS 

heavy center and a lighter, active man in these 
days is that the heavy center is expected to block 
up the middle of the line and crowd his way 
through, forcing his man back, while the active, 
light center is played a little back of the line any- 
way, and if the play comes through the middle 
he jumps up to meet it, whereas if it is directed 
on or off tackle he runs across behind his own 
line and aids in protecting the attacked position. 

There is one thing to be said of the lighter and 
more active center in the present game, and that 
is if he has the right spirit he can get into position 
more quickly and keep his team more on the jnmp, 
and in this way be more able to disconcert his op- 
ponents with varied attack than a slower heavier 
center for whom the team is obliged to wait on 
almost every line-up. It should be borne in mind 
that all degrees of speed of attack depend quite 
largely upon this position, for the ball must come 
into the center's hands every time, except on cer- 
tain fakes, before it is put in play and that this 
man absolutely determines how fast the game may 
be played. 

As to the style of snapping the ball centers 
vary and there is much discussion. There is no 
question, however, but that the most expert are 
those who hold the ball with their hands on the 
side and their fingers on the end, in such a posi- 

277 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

tion tliat a snap of the fingers suddenly backwards 
shoots the ball to the quarter. There are others 
who simply lift the ball from the ground with a 
toss to the quarter-back. In this case the quarter 
stands rather farther back, and probably with 
the development of the new game where the 
quarter can run with ball, the quarters will no 
longer stand as closely to the centers on the 
majority of the plays as they have done in the 
past, and this will make a longer pass essential. 
A center should bear in mind that he is the one 
who knows what the play is going to be, and he 
should make the most of this by not allowing his 
opponent to know just when he is going to snap 
the ball. Then he should suddenly let it go and 
immediately throw himself into position to aid 
the play, thereby preventing the center from com- 
ing through, pushing him from one side to 
the other, taking a guard out of the way, or any 
of the various things that may be done under the 
rules by the center to aid the runner. 

There is another opportunity for a quick and 
aggressive center, and that is when the opponents 
are making a kick. Constant practice and work 
on the theory of breaking through has made many 
a center able to suddenly and unexpectedly break 
through and to block the kick, thus gaining for 
his side a most extraordinary advantage. 

278 



THE DIFFEEENT POSITIONS 

Finally the center should always be watching 
Ms opponent when the ball is being brought in 
from the side lines, or about to be put into play 
from any point, so that no fakes should be worked 
on him. 

THE GUAUD 

Many of the great stars of the past have played 
the position of guard. Men like Heffelfinger, 
Hare, Glass and a long list of others have made 
this position one of great prominence, and it is a 
place of importance in any style of game that is 
played. The guard must be powerful in every 
respect, and in addition to this he needs a certain 
amount of quickness. It is true that a guard may 
be serviceable even though he is slow, but he can 
never be a star in the position. On the defense, 
the guard must assist the tackle and the center. 
He must be able to stop anything that comes, and 
not only check it, but hold it. Furthermore, under 
the latest rules, he must himself watch care- 
fully for quarter-back runs and be ever ready to 
intercept a quick dash of this kind on either side 
of him. In meeting interference, he must never 
permit it to crowd him back, but must be able to 
turn it and put all his weight on it. 

His play on the offense is of equal importance, 
for he must insure the safety of his quarter or 

279 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

backs wlien they are getting the ball from the 
center. He must allow no man to shoot through 
and mess up the play. He should occupy as much 
space as possible and yet insure what is called a 
" tight line " from tackle to tackle from which 
to get the plays off, and get them off with security. 
A guard has a somewhat easier time of it than 
the center because he is not loaded with the work 
of handling the ball and getting it back to the 
player. Apart from this, and in fact because of 
this, he must do more work than the center. On 
the attack, he should go across into the inter- 
ference, and constant practice in starting is es- 
sential to enable him to do this. With the modern 
rules, it does him no good to get behind the play 
and push. He must be speedy enough to get in 
front of it, or his assistance is useless. If this 
does not lead to the gradual reduction in weight 
of guards in selection, it certainly will lead to that 
by training them down if they are made to do the 
work. The great thing in guards is strength and 
endurance for they have to run a great deal 
farther than the center in addition to having to 
sustain the same amount of pounding. A guard 
should go into the interference in almost every 
play, and that means about three times the 
amount of running that the center has to do. 
Then on the defense, the three center men are all 

280 




borglum's group of foot-ball players 



THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS 

alike except that a guard sometimes has the op- 
portunity to go down the field under a kick. The 
guard should put it up to the center in regard to 
the matter of breaking through and endeavoring 
to stop a kick by the opposing full-back. These 
three men in working together very often succeed 
in some arrangement by which two of them can 
make an opening for the third and let him 
through almost clear. There is plenty of opportu- 
nity to study on this feature of the play, and when 
three men have worked together through a season 
they ought to be very proficient at it. A guard 
should also remember when he is on the defense 
that watchfulness is essential. In these days of a 
sudden quarter-back dash, he should always be 
on the alert. Then, too, he can tell by the action 
of the opponents what play is likely to eventuate 
and assist his team mates by calling out to them. 
Some sudden change in the back field is even more 
apparent to the guard and center than to anybody 
else and a shift of this kind by a forward pass may 
be discerned almost instantly and the backs 
warned. 

A guard should make the greatest study of the 
position of his feet and body to be effective in 
blocking and getting through. There are two 
positions which should be avoided. One is with 
both feet squarely up in the line ; and the other is 

283 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

the reverse, one foot withdrawn to a full reach 
directly behind the other. In fact the man who 
has both feet up in the line and is liable to be 
pushed off his balance is preferable to the man 
who stands with his rear foot in a straight line, 
extended back behind the other, for the first 
player will at least, when he is bowled over, occupy 
considerable space, whereas the other man is like 
a knife edge, and his opponents slip past him with- 
out difficulty. The ideal position is with one foot 
partly back, just far enough to get a good brace, 
and yet occupy all the space laterally possible; 
then, and most vital of all, the head up and the 
hips low. A man in this position has the greatest 
possible advantage in making his effort. 

THE TACKLE 

The tackle is an ideal position, but it requires a 
remarkable man to fill it to perfection. He must 
have something of the weight and strength of a 
guard, the agility and speed of an end, and the 
dash and snap of a half-back, for his position is a 
pivotal one, and his work is made up of part line 
work and part end work. The ordinary tackle 
simply fills the position. The real tackle not only 
fills the position, but is on the alert every instant 
helping out anybody within his radius and 
eventually becoming such a menace to the op- 

284 



THE DIFFEEENT POSITIONS 

ponents that they switch their attack over on to 
the other side of the line. On the defense, he 
smashes interference and gives his back and end 
a clear chance to get at the running. Unfortu- 
nately, with the introduction of the forward pass, 
the half-back has been withdrawn to such a dis- 
tance that the play of the tackle has suffered 
greatly and has become mere brute strength and 
endurance. Instead of smashing the interference 
more or less upright, he now goes down like a big 
log to cause the interference to fall over him, and 
the runner to fall over his own interference. But 
this weakness in rules will probably be rectified 
somewhat and the tackle will come back once more 
to his own. When his team has the ball, he blocks 
hard and firm, and he may even run with the ball 
himself going around behind his own line and re- 
ceiving it from the quarter. If he is playing on 
the kicker's side of the line, he must block and 
block long. If on the other side, he blocks for an 
instant only, and then he is down the field with the 
rapidity of an end, and often is the man who seizes 
the would-be runner with the ball. 

The steady progress in the play of tackle has 
been so remarkable that it seems as if the position 
would pretty soon reach its height of develop- 
ment. But further changes in the rules open up 
new fields. During the two or three years of the 

285 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

heaviest massed play, the position of tackle has 
deteriorated. The nien occupying the place have 
had too much pounding to endure, and too little 
brilliancy of play was possible. Let us hope that 
the new rules will somewhat alter this, although 
they have not gone far enough yet to bring back 
the finer point of tackle play. It is still essential 
that the tackle be a heavy man who can stand a 
lot of weight plays being pushed on and over him, 
for even without the interlocked interference, and 
no pushing and pulling, the tackle is going to have 
a lot of men sent at him at full speed with the 
runner behind him. If the tackle 's defensive half 
could come up and assist him all would be well, 
but that player is kept back from eight to ten 
yards on account of fear of the forward pass, 
and the tackle must therefore meet this kind of 
play entirely unsupported. However, as already 
stated, the lessening of the solidity of this mass 
which comes at him will help a good deal, and a 
tackle will have some chance to use his head. 
There is very little time for the man who plays 
this position to diagnose the play. He must start 
instantly on the snap of the ball and shoot him- 
self into the opposing territory. As soon as he 
gets there, he should check himself and look, and 
if possible get the runner. This, of course, would 
be exceptionally good fortune, for usually the 

286 



THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS 

runner is protected by the interferers. Then it 
behooves the tackle to smash that interference in 
order that some of his team mates behind him 
may be able to get the runner if this interference 
is cleaned up. In the days of the interlocked in- 
terference and pushing and pulling, the tackle 
was forced to go down under the feet of the inter- 
ferers and cause them to fall in such a manner as 
to block the way of the runner. If he did not do 
this, the runner gained at least eight or ten yards 
before he was reached by the defensive half-back. 
This is somewhat altered by recent changes in 
rules. The tackle need not bother his head much 
about the forward pass except to this extent, and 
this is vital : The tackle when he sees a man stand- 
ing back in position to make a forward pass must 
rush upon him with as much speed as possible and 
force the pass ; that is, he must make the opponent 
let go of the ball just as quickly as possible, and 
in this way more than in any other will he aid his 
own team. The more a forward pass is hurried 
the less accurate it is likely to be, and the less dis- 
tance the recipient is likely to get. On attack the 
tackle makes every effort to block his man and 
prevent him from getting in and spoiling a play. 
On a kick, the tackle blocks just a moment, and 
then goes down the field under the play. The left 
tackle for a right-footed kicker need hardly block 

289 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

at all, but the right tackle must block long enough 
to be sure the kicker is safe. 

The tackle" also has an opportunity like the 
guard for breaking through on the opposing 
kicker, and he should always be ready to take 
advantage of this, bearing in mind however that 
he should keep his eyes open for fakes and tricks 
which are most easily brought about from a kick 
formation. 

The position of the tackle on defense has been 
discussed ever since foot-ball became a game of 
position play. Those who have made the greatest 
success, however, have been tackles who played 
rather wide and who kept in motion so that it was 
difficult for the opponents to plan with certainty 
just where the tackle would be at a given instant. 
Plenty of practice should be devoted to quickness 
in starting as well as strength in pushing and 
shooting through. 

THE END 

This position has become one of the greatest 
importance and requiring experience and head 
work in a marked degree. In fact, in the recent 
days of the forward pass, it has become a position 
of great danger. The injuries may not be as 
serious as those to the tackle but they have proved 
to be incapacitating to the players, some of the 

290 



THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS 

teams having needed in the last year or two six 
and even eight ends to carry them through the 
season. This has come from the defense that has 
been provided against the forward pass, for that 
defense consisted in bowling over the end who was 
intended to take the ball, and this knocking over 
a man in a defenseless position with his eye fixed 
on the ball that was coming, and his hands up to 
catch it, had become a serious menace to the game. 
The latest rules help out somewhat on this, but it 
is doubtful if there will not be many accidents 
■caused by two men, opponents each of the 
other endeavoring to catch a ball that has been 
tossed in the air. The rules forbid running into 
an end, as was formerly done, but they allow a 
man to try to take the ball, and that means a 
situation that has very dangerous possibilities. 
Imagine a base-ball player with a fly ball knocked 
over his head running after it having an opponent 
running in the opposite direction, and both en- 
deavoring to catch the ball. That is exactly the 
position that the end has to face. 

One of the special provinces of the end is to 
run down the field under a kick, and in this respect 
his work under the new rules will be much simpler 
for the opponents are forbidden to block him until 
he has run twenty yards. Formerly, the opponents 
put not only one man but two men against a good 

291 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

clever end in order to prevent his going down the 
field and tackling the man making the catch. It 
would appear that under the present rules the 
man who takes the kick is likely to have very little 
chance of making a good, effective run back of 
the punt. 

But to return to the general work of an end. 
He must be a lively, dashing player with endur- 
ance and adaptability as well as clever intuition 
in sizing up the plays of the opponents. He should 
not be overworked, but should be kept in good 
condition so that he may be keen for the work at 
all times. On the attack he is usually called upon 
to box the tackle, that is, to prevent the tackle 
from getting through. In this he is aided by his 
own tackle, but he should be strong enough to at 
least hold the tackle temporarily by himself. On 
the defense his work is varied. He must look out 
for end runs and balls that come just outside of 
tackle. He must, according to the method he has 
played, either break up the play early, or else look 
out for the forward pass. When the ends are sent 
in, they endeavor to hurry the play and the half- 
backs attend to anything in the line of a forward 
pass. When the ends are held back, they look 
out for an end run and at the same time, by watch- 
ing the end and moving quickly, they may inter- 
cept a forward pass. In meeting interference, an 

292 



THE DIFFEEENT POSITIONS 

end must be cool and watchful and endeavor to 
work it out toward tlie end, watching his opportu- 
nity, and at the same time never losing sight of 
the runner. Nothing but natural ability coupled 
with experience can make an ideal end. 

Intuition is probably the greatest thing for an 
end to possess, and that quality is called upon 
more and more as the game develops. To be able 
to diagnose a play instantly, and to get into 
position for it, is one of the essentials of end play 
to-day. This has been rendered most marked by 
the introduction of the forward pass and the on- 
side kick, and no end is of much use to a team to- 
day who has not this power of discernment de- 
veloped to a high pitch. There are various ways 
of playing the ends, dropping them back, putting 
them up and shooting them through, letting them 
alternate with a tackle or half-back, and a number 
of others. But with the single exception where an 
end is driven straight through, there is no method 
of playing the position where a quick diagnosis 
of the play is not an extreme essential. Hence it 
is that veteran ends are generally the best, and 
by *' veterans " is not meant men who have held 
the position without improvement simply because 
of former prestige, but men who have played the 
position under varying conditions and have made 
use of their brains to study methods, and hence 

293 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

have perfected themselves in all departments of 
the game. 

On the attack, that is when their own side have 
the ball, the ends, as stated, are supposed to box 
the tackle. This has been the cnstom for years 
and still continues, but with a greater variety of 
play it is often deemed advisable to have the end 
pretend he is going to box the tackle and then slip 
up into a position where he may receive a forward 
pass. He may also deceive his opponents by 
making them suppose the play is going to be a 
kick and then obtain a position for receiving a 
forward pass. Still again he may be an apparent 
interferer in a wide run and secure a forward 
pass, and finally he may pxetend to box the tackle, 
and then whirling around cross back of his own 
line and receive the ball in a criss-cross. 

As already stated, the work of an end going 
down the field under a kick is not nearly as severe 
as under the old rules, and does not require any 
particular amount of development except actual 
speed. The end should remember, however, to 
slow up before he reaches his man and thus avoid 
a flying tackle. 

THE QUAETEE - BACK 

The quarter-back as a regular position may 
eventually disappear under the latest rules be- 

294 



THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS 

cause of the privilege given to the first man who 
receives the ball of running anywhere, that is, 
crossing the line of scrimmage at any point. The 
quarter-back, half-back and full-back may all play 
in a line parallel to the scrimmage line, and re- 
ceive the ball and dash through, or go out around 
the end without the intervention of an added pass. 
However, there will be some duties left to the 
quarter-back, usually in handling the team, giving 
the signals and general work of this nature. The 
quarter-back shares the duties of the captain when 
the game is being played. In fact, he is practically 
in charge of the team when the game is on, and 
the captain will only stop him when he gives a 
play that is likely to be unsatisfactory. Up to 
that point the captain allows him to run the team. 
Hence it is that the quarter must know every play 
and the capabilities of each man in the play. He 
must work out from practical experience his own 
theories of chances, and be able to compute to a 
nicety the outcome of any one of his plays. He 
must bear in mind that it is inadvisable to tire out 
any of his best men for his attack must not be 
forced to the extreme until he knows by the play 
of his opponents how much defensive work he will 
be called upon to perform. Hence a quarter-back 
should be a man of brains, of foot-ball brains, the 
combination of good, hard practical sense withi 

295 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

just enough imagination to make him willing to 
try a risky play at times when a risky play is the 
only one that can pull out the game. He should 
also be of sanguine disposition and not subject to 
discouragement. As a rule, the quarter is a small 
man, not because there is anything about the 
position that demands diminutive size, but because 
big men as a rule are not of exactly the disposition 
to carry out the work. The quarter should study 
his line and players, keep them well up to their 
work and drive them when necessary. He should 
be an absolutely certain catcher of punts, so that 
he may be sent to the back-field to do this work. 

Perhaps outside of an ability to drive a team 
rapidly and strongly, the best qualification for a 
quarter-back is that of perfect confidence in his 
men and plays. He should' be an optimist and 
that optimism from him should permeate the en- 
tire team as it often will. He should keep the play 
fast, and yet not work any one man too much. He 
should have clearly in mind the strength of each 
particular play, and where it is likely to be most 
effective, and finally he should know what is 
probable scoring distance for his team. He should 
know what play will take one yard with certainty, 
and what play, while it may lose two or three 
yards, may possibly bring off ten or fifteen. It is 
this study of chances and confidence in himself 

296 



« o 

> 2 

> > 



10 t- 



2 S 
"^ s 
o o 
^^ 

o > 




THE DIFFEEENT POSITIONS 

that makes the winning quarter-back. Of course 
there are other points about this position that are 
of great importance. As for instance, his ability 
to handle the ball cleanly and well; the certainty 
of catching the punts in case he is the man sent 
back into the back field to handle them ; the clean- 
ness of his tackling in case he is the last man 
between opponent and his own goal, and his 
own ability to execute or handle the forward 
pass. 

In fact the quarter-back has had so much to do 
that it has been impossible for any man to fully 
and entirely fill the position. Whether the change 
in the rules which permits the quarter-back cross- 
ing the line of scrimmage with the ball at any 
point is likely to make his duties simpler or more 
complicated is a question. If it should develop 
that the old-fashioned quarter -back is dispensed 
with, and the ball is passed indiscriminately to 
any man in the back field, it will probably dis- 
tribute the duties somewhat more evenly and thus 
relieve the overburdened quarter. But in many 
teams it is likely to accomplish the reverse, that is, 
add to the quarter-back's other duties a greater 
amount of running, and that will mean more ex- 
haustion. However, quarters have always had a 
position of great responsibility^-, and the men who 
have occupied that position have usually re- 

299 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

sponded to its demands so well that one may trust 
them equally in the future. 

THE BACKS 

In the early days, there was quite a difference 
in the work of the half-back and full-back, but now 
there is almost none at all, and a man who can 
play one of the positions can play the other, too. 
Of course a right half-back may have some dif- 
ficulty in playing left half-back at first, and either 
half-back may show a little greenness if played as 
full-back, but nothing to prevent an interchange 
of the men in the positions at any time, if they 
have two or three days' practice. The prime 
feature of the back field is harmony and confidence 
in each other. Men for the position should be 
powerful and fast, with good heads and able to 
size up a situation quickly. They should be par- 
ticularly keen on the game and, if possible, keep 
in the best condition by occasional changes so 
that they are eager to get in and play. Under 
the new rules, much more is required of them than 
under the old. Not only is their work on defense 
very complicated in watching for forward passes 
and that sort of thing, but on the attack, the fact 
that they are deprived of the assistance of their 
team mates who formerly pushed, pulled and 
dragged them along is going to be a serious handi- 

300 



THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS 

cap and means a great deal more pounding for 
tliem to endure. It is more than advisable, there- 
fore, that a captain and coach secure a fine array 
of back-field timber by the very beginning of the 
season. It is likely that they will all be needed 
by the time of the big games. 

Men have always been proud to play in any 
position back of the line. The stars of the grid- 
iron have a clearer chance to shine in these 
positions than in any other. They are the brilliant 
attacking force. They are also the sole defense 
when a man breaks through. Their play is more 
apt to be in the open and observed than that of 
the line-men. They help and aid each other ; throw 
themselves into the breach when necessary, and 
tackle their opponents with a recklessness that 
always appeals to the on-looker. But for all this 
showy quality there is a lot of hard work for the 
backs to do in preparation for their positions. In 
the first place they should practice with great per- 
sistence quick starting. They should also have 
plenty of education on the use of the hand or arm 
in warding off tacklers, and should be taught how 
to use their feet in dodging. Beyond this, the 
backs must all learn to strike their opening with 
accuracy and have their speed on when they reach 
it. They should also have daily practice not only 
in rendering interference for their team mates but 

301 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

also in meeting interference by the opponents. It 
will not do to let backs play haphazard. Every 
move of the back, no matter how brilliant and 
unexpected it may look to the grand stands, if it 
is going to be successful should have been planned 
out and practiced daily for weeks. One thing is a 
cardinal quality for men of the back field, and that 
is their ability to hold on to the ball. Many a back 
has lost the game for his team by a failure to 
squeeze that ball when it was passed to him in a 
critical time. And it is well for every man who 
plays the position to bear this in mind constantly. 
A fumbling back field will ruin the best line that 
ever stood up because after a little experience that 
line will never charge but will be turning around 
to see if the ball has been fumbled. The backs 
must learn the signals perfectly, and be able to 
go through them without a hitch. Ability to punt 
is, of course, essential in one of the backs at least, 
and is a very advantageous thing in the others for 
if two, or even all three of the men, are good 
punters it offers an opportunity almost unequalled 
in deceiving the opponents with kick, forward 
pass, on-side kick and run, any one of these ap- 
parently starting from the same formation. 

Before concluding this section on backs, a point 
should be made of the very great importance of 
concealing the play from the opponents. Prob- 

302 



THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS 

ably one play in every three even now executed 
by the ordinary team is betrayed by some one in 
the back field of the attacking side before the play 
starts, or just as it is about to start, and this gives 
the opponents an opportunity to meet it, whereas 
if the play were brought off without any of this 
indication it would be doubly difficult for the op- 
ponents to meet it. This cannot be impressed too 
strongly upon the back field men. 



305 



CHAPTEE VIII 

KICKING, CATCHING AND PASSING 

PROBABLY there is greater fascination in tlie 
running game than in any other department of 
foot-ball. When a man has once tasted the 
pleasure of getting that leather oval under his arm 
and then running, apparently madly, but with a 
cool head and proper use of hand and arm in ward- 
ing off tacklers, he never forgets it and he is 
always longing to repeat it. There is no play that 
brings the spectators to their feet to such wild 
enthusiasm as a good run. Men have got the ball 
on the kick-off and run over the entire field of 
their opponents for a touch-down. Not a few of 
them have this record. Daly, formerly of Har- 
vard, performed it while on the West Point team, 
and Eckersall and Steffens of Chicago have both 
accomplished it. One of the most spectacular runs 
was made by Thorne of Yale at the time he was 
captain in a game with Princeton at the Polo 
Grounds. It was particularly exciting because 
Thorne passed so many men. It was on a regular 
play from scrimmage, and when he was once 
started, it seemed as though every man on the 

306 



KICKING, CATCHING AND PASSING 

Princeton team had a chance at him, but he still 
staggered and twisted and turned until he reached 
the goal-line. There have been plenty of runs quite 
as long but not nearly as thrilling. Chadwick, for 
instance, of Yale, on a special play twice ran half 
the length of the field against Princeton and Met- 
calf, his team mate, ran the same distance the fol- 
lowing week on the same play against Harvard. 
But for excitement, these runs did not compare 
with that of Thorne. Weekes of Columbia, who 
scored on Yale, was one of the most brilliant of 
end-runners. 

But to go back to the earlier days. Ames of 
Princeton and McClung of Yale were the two most 
striking dodging runners that the game has seen, 
while Kelly of Princeton and Wright and Dibblee 
of Harvard had both speed and head work com- 
bined. Bunker of West Point was one of the 
greatest plungers of the game, but Heston of 
Michigan combined all the styles with the use of 
straight arm and side sweep, dodging runs and 
straight plunges to an extent unequalled by any- 
one. Butterworth of Yale was far ahead of any 
man of his day in ability to follow interference. 
This he did so neatly and cleverly as to be able to 
repeat when a man using his interference less and 
himself more would shortly have been incapac- 
itated. And this list is not nearly complete 

307 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

for there are dozens of other men who deserve 
mention for their exploits and skill in this line. 

The especially skilful features of foot-ball out- 
side of team play are the kicking, catching, and 
passing. It is in these that the novice finds him- 
self immediately inferior to the expert, and it is 
upon these that individual practice is essential. 
Of the three, passing belongs more particularly to 
the province of one player only — the quarter- 
back ; for it is he who must receive the ball from 
the snap-back and deliver it to some other player 
yet in the modern game it is an essential of any 
good back. His passes vary, being sometimes 
long, — nearly across the field, perhaps, — and at 
other times consisting merely of handing the ball 
to a man, or even holding it to be taken out of his 
hands by the man as he goes by. All this requires 
practice ; for there is a right and a wrong way. In 
the short passing, the wrong way upsets the man 
who receives the ball ; and in the long passing, the 
quarter may not be able to throw the ball swiftly 
enough to have it reach the recipient safely. Long 
passes are best made by holding the ball like a 
spear and sending a spiral but these are not the 
kind used by the quarter in feeding his backs. The 
best way for a quarter to make a long pass across 
the field is to place the ball in the hand so that the 
end rests upon the point where the fingers join the 

308 



KICKING, CATCHING AND PASSING 

palm. The fingers are curled up so that the ball if 
held in the hand rests as though in a cup at its 
base, and lies against the fore-arm with its side. 
In throwing it, a side-arm swing is used, and the 
ball is whirled through the air turning upon its 
short axis, the fingers giving it an additional snap 
as it leaves them. The ball should be sent as 
nearly on a line as possible. In short passing, not 
so much force is needed, and when handed to an- 
other player it should be held by the quarter by 
the ends, one hand on each end and the arms a 
little extended, so that the runner may grasp it 
securely without striking the quarter's body. 

Catching is something to be learned only after 
days of constant practice, and it is one of the most 
important points in the play of the two half-backs 
and the back. As a punt may traverse a distance 
of fifty yards, a muif may mean a loss of that 
distance, plus whatever the lucky man- securing 
the ball may afterward gain in an almost clear 
field. A muif is the most serious mistake that a 
player behind the line can make. To be a good 
catcher, a man must have the- natural qualities of 
coolness and pluck, and he must perform the act 
properly. The ball should not be caught as a base- 
ball is, — in the hands only, — but the arms should 
assist, while the body — and even the upper part 
of the leg — may add to the absolute security of 

311 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

the catch. There is one spot where the ball must 
not be caught, and that is on the chest. More 
backs are guilty of this error than any other one 
on the list. A man who catches the ball high, or 
takes it on his chest, is never a sure catcher, and 
almost always gets into difficulty before a game 
is over. The ball should be caught low, — "in 
the stomach," as the boys express it, — that is, 
below the chest, and where, by bending the body 
forward and stooping perhaps a trifle just as the 
ball settles into the hands and arms, it renders it 
almost impossible for the ball to escape, even 
though the player be tumbled over. The best 
catchers make this kind of a pocket for the ball, 
using the hands and arms to catch it, and also the 
body to make it sure, sometimes even drawing 
up the leg a trifle; but this last is hardly neces- 
sary. 

Kicking is divided into three kinds — place- 
kicking, punting, and drop-kicking. No one of 
these varieties has been sufficiently developed 
by American players. It is only necessary to 
state that men have place-kicked goals from the 
middle of the field, to demonstrate the fact that 
we are not up to the highest mark. We have 
brought out but one side of place-kicking, — 
namely, the goal-kicking from touch-downs, — and 
even that imperfectly. Long place-kicking from 

312 



KICKING, CATCHING AND PASSING 

fair catches is too seldom seen, and mainly be- 
cause there are no men who can perform the part. 
A fair catch, when there is no wind, or a favoring 
wind, should yield a goal from as far back as the 
forty-yard line with moderate frequency, and be 
more than a " fighting chance " from ten yards 
back of that. 

To place-kick, the ball should be pointed, for 
short kicks, nearly upright, and then lowered as 
the distance to be kicked increases, but the point 
never brought so low that the force is not in a line 
with the long axis of the ball. The placer of the 
ball should hold it with the lacing up, and the 
kicker should sight along the upper seam. The 
placer should hold the ball with both hands, just 
off the ground, resting his elbow ; the lower hand 
should be well under, but not upon the lower tip, 
and the fingers of the upper hand steadying the 
ball just above the lacing. As he sets the ball 
down, he turns his under hand flat on the ground 
so that it does not interfere with the ball, and 
steadies the ball with one or two fingers of the 
upper hand as it is kicked out from under by the 
kicker. He does not let go of the ball. The kicker 
should '' cock up " the toes of his foot well, so that 
the foot is firm and the toe of the shoe catches the 
ball just below. the lower point. 

In punting, the ball is kicked with the instep 
313 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

and not with the toe. The ball should be dropped 
— not tossed ; merely dropped — from the hand to 
the foot as the swing is being made, and should be 
struck upon the point by the top of the instep. 
The swing may be a straight one or somewhat of 
a side swing, but the foot strikes the ball squarely 
in either case. The ball should not be too near 
the ground; something over a foot in the clear is 
the proper height, except for special kicks, and 
the full weight of leg and body put into it, as here- 
after described, for the drop-kick. Accuracy 
should be an aim of the punter as much as dis- 
tance. He should practise daily at some kind of 
a mark, and steadily increase his distance from 
that mark. A little felt padding over the top of 
the foot and instep, so that the shoe laces snugly, 
is conducive to good punting as well as good kick- 
ing of all kinds. 

There are three distinct styles of drop-kicking, 
and all of them good: first, the drop-kick, using 
but one hand to hold and drop the ball, the point 
being toward the goal, and taking a good, slightly 
side, swing in the kick; second, holding the ball 
in a similar position, but by the use of both hands ; 
and third, holding the ball in both hands, but with 
the point tilted backward, or away from the goal. 
In all three cases the dropping of the ball and the 
kicking are similar. The ball is dropped directly 

314 



KICKING, CATCHING AND PASSING 

to the ground, falling so that it strikes the turf 
not exactly upon the point, but leaning off the 
perpendicular some twenty degrees or so. Just 
as it strikes, or rather just as it rises off the 
ground, the foot swinging forward catches it 
squarely with the toe and drives it as it does in a 
place-kick. Good drop-kickers send the b*all fifty 
yards and over, although few of them are danger- 
ous in a game unless they get nearer than that. 
Drop-kicking as well as punting should be 
practised with men coming down at the kicker in 
order to accustom him to the conditions which he 
will find always prevailing in a game. It is the 
duty of the captain to determine when in a game 
a drop should be tried, and his decision must de- 
pend upon the accuracy and reliability of his 
kicker, the score and time of the game, and, 
finally, the condition of his team as to their ability 
to reach the line without losing the ball if the drop 
be given up. 

Not nearly enough has ever been written under- 
standingly of the kicking game. In fact, many 
captains and coaches are really at sea in their 
surmises as to the way this part of the game may 
be used. It is simple enough for any strategist to 
realize that when it comes to a third down with 
little possibility of making the required distance 
in one more attempt, it is eminently advisable for 

315 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

him to call upon his punter, and drive the ball over 
as many of those white cross-lines as possible. He 
also knows how vitally important it is that his end 
should follow up a kick, and see that the opposing 
back who catches it is not permitted to run it up 
in a broken field some twenty or thirty yards. But 
it is about here that the theories of a good many 
on the kicking game come to an abrupt end. Those 
who feel that this covers the extent of the province 
should have seen some of the old-time players like, 
for instance, '' Snake " Ames of Princeton, who 
could swing around one or two tacklers and then 
at full speed place a long, low punt on the side 
least expected by the back field of his opponents. 
Or Homans, of Princeton, who through an entire 
half by his clever work with his foot stalled off 
the Yale team far better than even his friends 
could have hoped as was demonstrated by the 
second half when Yale was wise enough to hold 
on to the ball and go for the running game, scoring 
on this basis some four or five times. Nor were 
either of these men more remarkable in kicking 
ability than George Brooke of Pennsylvania and 
Frank Butterworth of Yale, although the two 
former could kick on the run with greater facility. 
Harlan, a recent half-back of Princeton's, was also 
a good kicker on the run, while the average backs 
of to-day must come to a full stop before they can 

316 



KICKING, CATCHING AND PASSING 

get their foot in fair operation. Bull of Yale, as 
has already been noted in these pages, was a won- 
derfully accurate drop-kicker. But Eckersall of 
Chicago bears the record in this respect. No 
chapter on the kicking game would be complete, 
however, without reference to Hirschberger of 
Chicago and O'Dea of Wisconsin, two marvelous 
punters of the Middle West, who for average 
steady distance were more than the peers of any 
men who have sent the pigskin over a dozen or 
more of the white five-yard lines, and their drop- 
kicking was nearly as long although not as ac- 
curate as that of Eckersall. Harlan of Princeton, 
already mentioned, was one of the most accurate 
on-side kickers that the new game has produced, 
and his little run out towards tackle followed by a 
low, shooting kick was one of the most dangerous 
plays to opponents that has been devised. 
Mitchell of Yale, although he started out his 
career badly by having his attempted drop-kick 
blocked by DeWitt of Princeton, who thereupon 
ran the length of the field for a touch-down, be- 
came the following year one of the most accurate 
of kickers. He, of all the men I have seen play, 
could from almost any position in the field place a 
punt so that it would strike just inside the side line 
and bound out, covering a distance with such a 
kick of fifty yards. He seemed able to gauge the 

317 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

wind with great accuracy. The most difficult kick- 
ing proposition that I ever saw put up to a man 
fell to the lot of Hare of Pennsylvania in the 
Pennsylvania-Cornell game at Philadelphia one 
year when there was a snow and sleet storm with 
a perfect hurricane of wind driving down the 
field, and nobody but Hare could even get the 
ball over Pennsylvania's own rush-line into Cor- 
nell territory when trying to kick against the blast. 
Nor did Hare succeed in doing it every time, but 
when he managed to get all of his muscular force 
squarely on to the ball, he did succeed in getting 
it over their heads. Vorhis of Penn State and 
McCaa of Lafayette were also two star drop- 
kickers, as was Hudson of the Indians and Tibbott 
of Princeton. But the game is not so simple even 
for the best of kickers unless the rest of the team 
are able to give them their opportunity. The line 
must hold properly or a disaster may result. The 
case already mentioned of Mitchell is one in point. 
While it is true that a more experienced kicker 
or even Mitchell himself a year later would have 
held his kick and thus saved the worst feature, 
still for all that his line was responsible for letting 
DeWitt through. The Yale line came through on 
Minot of Harvard last year and blocked a kick 
that very nearly resulted in a touch-down. One 
blocked kick of Princeton's last year in the Yale 

318 




PROFESSOR At.ONZO A. STAGG 
Coach of the University of Chicago 




WILLIAM EDWARDS 



WILLIAM ROPER 
Princei07i 



KICKING, CATCHING AND PASSING 

game resulted in a touoh-down against the Orange 
and Black. Another feature of the kicking game 
is the ability of the ends and tackles to go down 
the field and hold the distance gained. In former 
years, when they placed sometimes two men 
against a good end to keep him from succeeding 
in this work, it was a mark of the highest skill for 
a man to go down in time to stop the run back, but 
there were many remarkable ends who could suc- 
ceed in doing it even under those conditions. Now 
the rules are so altered that the end has every 
chance, for he is protected for the first twenty 
yards of his run from any interference of this 
nature and consequently the distance gained by 
kicks is likely to be effectually held. 

The above suggestions can hardly be called 
directions, for to make them as extended as one 
would like would take up an almost indefinite num- 
ber of pages. They are merely suggestions that 
even the novice can begin his work upon and be 
sure that if he will supplement them with ideas of 
his own and unremitting practice he will be able 
to make himself a player of value to any team. 
The sport is farthest of all college sports from the 
limit of its development, and the boys now in the 
lower forms of the preparatory schools will play 
better foot-ball in their college teams than that we 
are seeing now, if they will but put the same in- 

321 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

terest in it that their predecessors have. Play 
strictly under the rules, but never be afraid of 
a play because it is a new or unheard-of one, is 
the best advice I can give to the coming players. 



322 



CHAPTEE IX 
THE CAPTAIN AND THE COACH 

THE CAPTAIN" 

THE sine qua non of a captain is an ability to 
lead men. In foot-ball this is particularly 
essential. For out of a squad of 150 or 200 men, he 
has under him on the field at the time of play ten 
men who must be willing to sacrifice all idea of 
self to the advantage of the team, must be ready 
to put out every last ounce of strength upon any 
occasion, when called upon, and finally must feel 
that whatever is done is done right and with sound 
judgment. If they have not this feeling of con- 
fidence in their leader, they will inevitably under 
pressure go to pieces, and the game will be lost. 
The ability to gather men together when things 
look dark, the ability to infuse them with renewed 
courage, each of these must be an attribute of the 
successful captain. But outside of this, he must 
be a foot-ball strategist. He will have the aid of 
his coaches it is true throughout the season, but 
even with this aid unless he is able to handle his 
team on the field, he will find himself at a loss 
when the trial comes. It is also true that he is 

323 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

nobly supported through the province of the 
quarter-back, for it is this individual who gives the 
signals and practically chooses the plays. But 
the captain must keep watch of these too, and if 
the quarter-back is making an error of judgment, 
the captain must step in and correct that error. 
He must, therefore, know the ability of his men 
and the value of each play. He must keep con- 
tinual watch of the varying conditions. He must 
know where the enemy's line is the weakest, and 
he must also know where his greatest strength 
lies. He should be wise in his judgment of the 
condition of each man in his team, how much work 
can safely be placed upon any one of his backs, 
and how much strength should be reserved for 
defense in meeting any particular attack of the 
opponents. He should also realize that in justice 
to his team he, himself, must not take on work that 
is likely to use him up before the game is over. 
If he is a good captain, it is essential that he 
should last through, and if he is a poor captain it 
should be found out before he ever goes into the 
game, and he, himself, should know it and make 
way for a better man. Many a season has been 
wrecked through letting a poor captain go on 
too long, and games have been lost through the 
folly of a good captain working himself to ex- 
haustion in the first half. 

324 







HOWARD JOSES 
yaJe 




THE CAPTAIN AND THE COACH 

Of the earlier captains who became famous in 
the game, the name of Baker of Yale stands out 
as the pioneer in his university's foot-ball history. 
Harvard had taken up Eugby foot-ball while Yale, 
under Baker, was still playing the old college 
game, and Baker it was who captained the Yale 
team in their first contest with Harvard of Rugby 
foot-ball. Whiting, the Harvard captain, had met 
with an injury in their Canadian trip, and Curtis 
was their acting captain at the time. After the 
game had been introduced, Yale made remarkable 
progress, and it was several years before Harvard 
was able to turn the tables. When it was accom- 
plished, it was under the captaincy of Arthur J. 
Cumnock, who possessed remarkable qualities of 
leadership, and who with the assistance of some 
remarkable players like Dudley Dean, quarter- 
back, Everett Lake, later Lieutenant Governor of 
Conn., and James Lee, half-backs, eventually suc- 
ceeded in defeating Yale. In Princeton's history, 
Hector Cowan, that captain and tackle, was always 
a heroic figure. Truxton Hare of Pennsylvania 
also stands out as a leader, as did also Torrey of 
the same university. Bert Waters was another 
Harvard leader, who, unfortunately, in his year 
of captaincy was himself incapacitated, although 
he played part of the game. Then followed at 
Harvard, separated by some years, Dibblee and 

327 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

Campbell, both winning captains, but Burr, whose 
team won, was another captain who was unable to 
play in his great game. Princeton seemed to run 
to tackles in captaincies. Lea, Hillebrand and 
Pell, the latter captain for two years, were in- 
stances of this. DeWitt was also a winning 
Princeton captain. At New Haven, owing to the 
number of winning teams, it is difficult to select 
particular instances, but Eay Tompkins was one of 
the early heroes who showed exceptional quality, 
followed by Lee McClung, now Treasurer of the 
United States, Vance McCormick, later Mayor of 
Harrisburg, Hinkey, the so-called '^ silent " cap- 
tain, Gordon Brown, Chadwick, Hogan, Shevlin. 
and Biglow. Coy, mentioned elsewhere in these 
pages, is too well remembered to need an intro- 
duction. Chicago produced many star captains, 
probably the most noted being Eckersall and 
Steffens, while Columbia had in Morley an ex- 
ceptional leader, as did Minnesota last year in 
McGovern. 

COACHING 

The time was, upon the introduction of the 
game, when a captain could easily do all of the 
coaching that was expected, and if some of the 
older players came back for a few days, it was 
merely to look over the men and give a few words 

328 



THE CAPTAIN AND THE COACH 

of advice as to the conduct of the important match. 
If one could give the rushers a little lecture stimu- 
lating them to hard work in the game, and a bit 
of encouragement to the halves, the duty of the 
coach was performed. To-day the available men 
— those who have served upon the best teams as 
players — are as eagerly sought after for coaches 
as are experts in any branch of sport, and every 
team is put under the hands of a coach for at least 
part of the season. And it is this coaching by 
men who know the game thoroughly that has done 
so much for the sport. It has spread the knowl- 
edge of the finer points of the play — not alone 
the strategies, but the best methods — as no other 
system could have done. East, West, and South 
the skilled players have gone, not to play, but to 
teach the coming foot-ball player how to use his 
strength and skill to the best advantage. 

The duties of the coach are manifold. He must 
know the most approved training, and must be 
able to direct the diet and amount of exercise to 
be taken. He must be able to handle a team with- 
out having any member get '' too fine," or over- 
trained, and see that the men are in condition to 
stand the hours of a match. He must be able to 
preserve good discipline among the men, and, 
greatest perhaps of all, be able to make them work 
in perfect harmony. These are the duties of the 

329 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

captain as well, and the coach and the captain 
must always work together upon these points ; but 
without any conflict of their powers, the captain 
should always remember that a coach ought to be 
positive. The suggestions I have endeavored to 
embody here are for captain, coach, and player; 
but they are intended for suggestions rather than 
absolute directions ; and just as any one must need 
special exigencies with special methods, so must 
the coach remember that if his governing prin- 
ciples be correct, he can often, to advantage, vary 
the application. 

COACHES 

There is one side of the game which has a par- 
ticular element of interest to the spectator as well 
as to the player, and that is the coaching. As the 
rules lend themselves to the development of team 
play, organization, and strategy, so it is that the 
best results are obtained through the use of orig- 
inal plays mapped out by the experience of the 
coach, and the detail perfected by a number of men 
taking up the parts and organizing the play on the 
field. It is very attractive to any one who follows 
the practice to see the play thus developed, 
polished, and perfected. Of coaches Mr. Lorin 
F. Deland, who devised the flying wedge for Har- 
vard, was the most ingenious on defensive tactics. 

330 




LORIN F. DELAND 
Harvard 




G. FOSTER SANFORD 
Of Yale, who coached Columbia 



THE CAPTAIN AND THE COACH 

Closely following him was Mr. George Woodruff, 
who did much for Pennsylvania's foot-ball, while 
for practical work on the field Mr. G. Foster San- 
ford was pre-eminent. Mr. Fielding H. Yost has 
only had opportunities in the Middle West foot- 
ball, but he has put Michigan well at the top. 
Professor Alonzo A. Stagg of the University of 
Chicago is a most ingenious coach, and under the 
forward pass has shown some of the best work. 
Mr. H. L. Williams has done the same for Min- 
nesota. No man has accomplished more remark- 
able performances than Mr. Glenn Warner with 
his team of Carlisle Indians ; while men like Mr. 
Eeid and Mr. Haughton of Harvard and a dozen 
later coaches are coming to the front with origi- 
nality and understanding of men which the con- 
ditions of the new rules render invaluable ad- 
juncts. An ideal staff of coaches might be chosen 
from these to develop a team with Messrs. Deland, 
Woodruff, and Stagg to devise plays, with Messrs. 
Yost and Sanford to put them into execution, 
while men like Brooke and Williams of Pennsyl- 
vania could be called upon to handle the back field 
problems. 

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COACH 

But where did the coach come from, and why 
did he come? He was developed by the exigencies 

333 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

of the case, and lie came because team play began 
to take tbe place of ineffective individual effort. 
The American loves to plan. It is that trait that 
has been at the base of his talents for organization. 
As soon as the American took up Rugby foot-ball 
he was dissatisfied because the ball would pop 
out of the scrimmage at random. It was too much 
luck and chance as to where or when it came out, 
and what man favored by Dame Fortune would get 
it. So he developed a scrimmage of his own, a 
center-rusher, or snap-back, a quarter-back, and 
soon a system of signals. One could no more pre- 
vent the American college youth from thus ad- 
vancing than he could stop their elders with their 
more important and gigantic enterprises. But all 
these things led to team play, at the sacrifice, 
perhaps, of individual brilliancy, but with far 
greater effectiveness of the eleven men in what for 
them was the p-rincipal affair of the moment — the 
securing of goals and touch-downs. At first the 
captain was the coach, but as he was also a player, 
he soon found that he could not play and at the 
same time secure the proper perspective of the 
whole. So sometimes he stayed out, and some- 
times he played upon the scrub, or second, eleven 
in practice, in order to see more of the play and 
its development. Then he realized that some one 
should stay out all the time in order to judge the 

334 



THE CAPTAIN AND THE COACH 

effectiveness of various plays and methods, and 
as lie could not secure satisfactory results from 
tlie body of his substitute players, he naturally 
turned to graduates, men who had played the 
game knew its possibilities, and could gauge the 
progress. At first Rugby foot-ball was confined 
to a few large institutions, but it gradually made 
its way, and as the smaller institutions took up the 
game, they called upon the veterans of the older 
teams for men who could hurry them over the 
preliminary stages and bring about perfected play. 
But this is only the beginning of the story. A 
great deal of most unwelcome prominence has 
been forced upon the coach largely through the 
desire of people to be fed with sensation and 
mystery, I remember going on a vacation and 
taking advantage of it to coach a team in a col- 
lege where the game had only been recently 
adopted. The college was located near a large 
city, and as a friend of mine had gone with me to 
coach the rival college, there was considerable in- 
terest manifested, and the newspapers were full 
of foot-ball. This was long before the function of 
the foot-ball coach was understood, and in this 
locality he must have been regarded as something 
between a prize-fighter and a rubber. My friend 
and I were invited b}^ some old acquaintances to 
attend an assembly ball, and in one of the pauses 

335 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

I was much astonished and a good deal edified to 
hear an elderly lady say, staring at us, '' Those 
men, the foot-ball coaches — why they can actually 
dance! " Then there was a full-page advertise- 
ment in one of the morning papers, with our photo- 




S3AI.TER 

By permission of the " New Haven Union " 
CARICATURE, BY HOWARD FREEMAN, OF TWO 
DEVOTEES OF COLLEGE SPORTS: EVERT 
JANSEN WENDEL, AND WALTER CAMP. 

graphs — excellent ones, too, though where ob- 
tained I cannot imagine — but full-length figures 
were added and each was draped in one of the 
enterprising clothier's latest fall overcoats, and 
underneath was the legend, ' ' How Mr. Camp and 

Mr. would look in our overcoats." But 

those were the early days of coaching, and it was 

336 



THE CAPTAIN AND THE COACH 

not many years before the coach was regarded as 
the possessor of all possible knowledge. 

I have heard it said of late years by a head 
coach who spoke feelingly that every new line in 
the rules meant new furrows in the brain of every 
coach in the country, and I am inclined to believe 
he was not exaggerating. Perhaps a brief de- 
scription of what every head coach is doing 
throughout the country would show why this is so. 
At any institution where there is a foot-ball team, 
there are two, three, or at times a dozen coaches. 
Most of these men are graduates who come back 
for a week or two to help out with their experi- 
ence ; and this in itself is an admirable thing, for 
it acquaints the undergraduate with the graduate 
and does much for both of them and for the 
cementing of the bonds of friendship. But the 
head coach usually stays through the season, and 
he and the captain are responsible for what is 
called the development of the team. He should 
take much of the worry of the season off the cap- 
tain's shoulders, and it need not be supposed that 
the captain will in this way suffer from a lack of 
duties. 

THE STREITUOIJS LABOES OF THE COACH 

The coach works out the individual duties of 
each man in a play, — for instance, deciding who 

337 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

is to take the opposing end, who is to be respon- 
sible for keeping the opposing tackle from break- 
ing through, and who is to make the play safe. 
That is so arranged that in case of a fumble the 
opponents may not have a clear field for a touch- 
down. In addition to this, he lays out the defen- 
sive formations against possible plays, and, in 
these days of forward passes and on-side kicks, 
against sudden surprises. Besides all this, he 
teaches the individual detail of position play — 
how to kick, block, interfere, tackle, and the like. 
Then it usually devolves upon him to devise a set 
of signals by which the quarter-back may indicate 
to his own team which man is to take the ball, 
what play is to be used, and at what point in the 
opponents ' line that play is to be directed. These 
signals should be simple enough for his own team 
to master thoroughly and yet not so simple that 
opponents will discover them. 

Apropos of this, I remember sitting on the side- 
lines once with the coacTi of a minor team and in 
the middle of the first half saying to him : " There 
is something wrong with your quarter-back." 
Whereupon he looked at the young man and said : 
" No, I think not. He seems to be all right.'* And 
in truth he did seem quite physically right as he 
ran up to make the next play. But what I had 
noticed was the peculiar way in which the quarter- 

338 



THE CAPTAIN AND THE COACH 

back acted while he was giving his signal and the 
hesitating way in which he was handling the ball. 
The next play brought the ball directly over to our 
side of the field and within a few feet of where we 
were sitting. As the quarter ran over he caught 
sight of his coach and running straight up to him 
said : ' ' Take me out. I 've forgotten the sig- 
nals ! ' ' And sure enough, for as soon as the coach 
had replaced him the little chap told us that having 
recently been given a new set of signals he sud- 
denly found that he had forgotten them and the 
only way he had made the last few plays was to 
call over his signal and then let the back grab the 
ball out of his extended hands because he did not 
know which man he had signaled for. Perhaps 
the yoimg man was not so much to blame for for- 
getting his lesson as the coach for having given 
him too long and hard a task. 

Finally the coach answers inquiries as to the 
condition of the team and its chances, indeed act- 
ing as a buffer between the captain and over-eager 
coaches, solicitious reporters, and the world gen- 
erally, besides at times being called upon to see 
that some player of importance who is taking 
sport more seriously than his studies realizes that 
his perspective is warped and that he must keep 
up his standing if he is to be eligible for the team. 
A coach once came to me for some advice a short 

339 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

time before Ms important game. I saw that he 
was extremely nervous, but endeavored to pay no 
attention to that fact and not betray to him that 
I thought him very much on edge. Finally he 
could restrain himself no longer and he burst out 
with: '' Don't I look badly? I weighed 180 lbs. 
when I took up this job six weeks ago and now I 
weigh only 157 and I guess it will finish me." On 
the day of the game the coach is usually easily 
distinguishable on the side-lines by his drawn and 
pallid face and by his nervousness if the game is 
close. At intermission he may be called upon not 
only to explain to his pupils how they may best 
meet a form of attack which during the first half 
has played havoc with their defense, but also to 
exhort to renewed effort an apparently defeated 
team. Upon the whole, the coach after the experi- 
ence of one season is more than likely to conclude 
that it is far less wearing to be in uniform and an 
actual player than to take the game by proxy and 
shiver on the side-lines. 



340 




FRANK A. HINKEY 
Yale 



JOHN DEWITT 
PriMceton 



rrLjjLCt 



Copyright, iaj3, Ijy J. F. Renlschlel 

MARTIN HESTON 

Mickizan 



THE ALL-TIME ALL-AMERICA ELEVEN AS CHOSEN BY MR. CAMP 



CHAPTER X 

ALL - TIME ALL - AMERICA TEAMS 

AS a fitting climax to this series of foot-ball 
sketches, I have been asked to select an 
*' All- America team of All- America teams." To 
explain this let me say that individual prowess in 
the sport of foot-ball is now most prominently 
recognized in the selection, at the close of each 
season, of what is known as the '* All- America 
team," or a team chosen from the star players of 
all the various elevens in the country. The fiction 
of it is that these would be the men named for a 
team to represent this country against any foreign 
organization in an international contest. Such a 
contest is impossible, owing to the differences in 
rules of the sport, but the selection is annually 
made. This choosing of All- America teams began 
just twenty years ago through the publication of 
such a selection by the writer. This choice was 
published in the columns of a periodical devoted 
to outdoor games called " The Week's Sport."* 
It seemed at once to strike a popular note, and in 

1 Mr. Camp's first selection, as quoted from " The Week's Sport," 
read as follows: "To return to the Association, taking; the players 
on a rating based upon their actual work in games, the All- America 

343 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

a few years others were making similar choices, 
until last year no fewer than a hundred news- 
papers or periodicals advanced "their candidates 
for such honors. Nor has the plan been confined 
to foot-ball, similar selections having been made 
in other sports. 

To be chosen a member of the All- America team 
in foot-ball falls to the lot of few men who have 
not practised certain virtues, and practised them 
for several seasons. To their elders it may seem 
a foolish casting of the lime-light upon boys whom, 
in their maturer views of things, they regard as 
unable to stand the flattering notice. But if these 
elders could only know these young men as they 
are known among their intimates, they would 
speedily be disabused of the delusion that the boys 
are in danger of being spoiled in any such fashion. 
Year after year a boy sees the class ahead of him 
go out into the world and knuckle bravely down 
to hard knocks and hard work, sees his own turn 
coming, and gets a fairer perspective of the re- 
lation of things than his timorous elders give him 
credit for. 

To pick, then, an All-America team of All- 
America teams, to look over the various groups of 
the last twenty years and choose from them men 

team would be composed of the following players: 1, Cumnock; 
2, Cowan; 3, Cranstcn; 4, George; 5, Heffelfinger; 6, Gill; 7, Stagg; 
S, Poe; 9, Channing; 10, Lee; 11, Ames. 

344 



ALL-TIME ALL-AMEEICA TEAMS 

who towered above the heads of their fellows, one 
team of all, seems like a selection that must be, 
perhaps, one of only personal feeling, judg- 
ment, or prejudice, call it what you will. The only 
excuse I have to offer is that I have known most 
of these players well, and from what I know of 
them I believe that if all were gathered into one 
group and a team were to be selected to play, they 
would be willing to abide by my judgment and 
take their turn from the side-lines as willingly to 
my call as to that of any other man. 

Foot-ball players seem to be peculiarly unselfish 
in this respect, and in all the other sports I have 
never seen one that could compare with it in this 
attribute. I have seen men who expected to play sit 
on the side-lines, and I have seen men pulled out 
and substitutes sent in, and I have yet to see the 
man who has not been glad of the good work of the 
man who was taking his place, ready to clap him 
on the shoulder when he went in, and to praise 
him when he came out. It is truly team work 
that develops a higher grade of unselfishness than 
any other sport in this respect. 

THE ALL-TIME ALL-AMEEICA TEAM 

Since the year when the All- America team was 
first selected the feeling has grown to such an ex- 
tent that now this roll of honor is doubly and 

345 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

trebly worth trying for. To be chosen on the team 
means that a man must surpass hundreds of his 
fellows, must go through worry, grief, hard work, 
and probably several periods of discouragement. 
As it is always the highest satisfaction to measure 

The All-Time All- America Team 

End HiN^KEY, Yale. 

Tackle Fish, Harvard. 

Guard .Hare, Pennsylvania. 

Center Schultz, Michigan. 

Guard Heffelpinger, Yale. 

Tackle DeWitt, Princeton. 

End Shevlin, Yale. 

Qnarter-back. . . Eckersall, Chicago. 
Half-back. ..... Heston, Michigan. 

Half-back "Weekes, Columbia. 

Full-back Coy, Yale. 

oneself with one's fellows, and then to pass 
through a test whereby outside judgment places a 
man at the top, so it is that in various posi- 
tions on the All-America team no man succeeds 
in reaching the goal without having earned his 
place. The chances are that, with the selection 
so close, many men fail by a slight margin; but 
it is equally true that no man secures the place 
without having gone through a siege that prepares 
him for almost anything that may come after. 

346 



ALL-TIME ALL -AMERICA TEAMS 

Hinkey of Yale, unlike most of tlie men selected 
on this team, would look light and fragile. In 
fact, in the days when he played, he always ap- 
peared to have no body, but everlasting spirit. 
His name has grown to be a standard of end play 
in the colleges. What gave him his special prom- 
inence was the fact that his intuition was never 
at fault as to where the ball was or would be. He 
had a way of sifting through interference like a 
shadow and invariably picking out the man with 
the ball. He was specially clever in adapting him- 
self to any form of attack which opponents might 
send at him, and although weighing a scant 150 
pounds, he seemed never to have any difficulty in 
boxing his tackle and giving his runner a fair 
chance to get by. He was equally a student of the 
game, and recognized the possibilities of any play 
with keenest precision. 

Fish of Harvard has made a name for himself 
at tackle both as a product of the plays that were 
effective before the introduction of the new game 
and as a man who took to the forward pass and 
the on-side kick more naturally than any other 
tackle. In addition to this, he was a leader of 
men, and much of the attack and defense of his 
team was built about him. There is no man who 
has been developed since the introduction of the 
forward pass who could equal him at receiving the 

347 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

ball. He is six feet three, and the stretch of his 
arms up into the air, as can be readily appreciated, 
is considerable. Furthermore, he had a way of so 
planting himself upon his feet that the men whose 
province it was to knock over the man receiving 
the pass alm'ost invariably found Fish immovable. 
He was often down the field ahead of his ends, and 
was a certain and deadly tackier. As an interf erer 
he was equally good, and on the whole he is the 
best rounded-out of all the tackles that have 
played the position. 

Hare of the University of Pennsylvania stood 
out an heroic figure in all the games he played. 
His position was nominally that of guard, but in 
the defensive work it was often his province to get 
out from his position rapidly enough to prevent 
end runs by opponents. Training close to 200, 
he had far greater speed than any line-man save 
possibly an end, and when in action he seemed 
able to overtake even the fast half-back. He was 
like many men who while under the watch possibly 
might not defeat a smaller man on the 100-yard 
track, yet when starting for his opponent on the 
foot-ball field, his burst of speed seemed always 
enough to enable him to overtake his man. In ad- 
dition to the work that he did at guard both on 
offense and defense, he was for a time the reliance 
of Pennsylvania as a punter, and was called back 

348 



ALL-TIME ALL-AMEEICA TEAMS 

of tlie line to do the kicking. I remember vividly 
the game played between Pennsylvania and Cor- 
nell in Philadelphia, on Thanksgiving Day, 1898, 
when in a gale of snow and sleet and on a mushy 
field Hare was forced repeatedly to do the kicking 
for his side up into the wind. He was a mag- 
nificent runner with the ball, and as an interferer 
opened up pathways for others that helped im- 
mensely. 

Schultz, a center on the Michigan team, was, 
everything considered, probably the best center 
that ever played the game. Big, strong, and fast, 
he combined all the defensive and offensive 
qualities of the best line-men with the speed, sure 
tackling, and intuition as to what to do on the in- 
stant that are winning qualities of the defensive 
back. In addition to this, his passing was excel- 
lent, as he had plenty of speed for his kicker, 
steadiness for his quarter, and ability to pass in 
directions other than in a straight line which made 
him specially valuable in certain formation plays. 

Heffelfinger is still a name to conjure with in 
foot-ball annals. In his first year at New Haven 
he was rather raw-boned and clumsy, but although 
he soon began to gain weight, he also increased in 
speed and aggressiveness. He was one of the first 
guards to succeed in getting from his position in 
the line out to the end rapidly enough to interfere 

349 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

for a running half-back. This trick he performed 
successfully during the rest of his course, and it 
added greatly to the scoring ability of his team; 
for there were no ends or backs who could shoot 
through or over Helf elfinger and reach the runner, 
provided that runner connected at the proper 
place. He was of great assistance in pulling and 
dragging his man forward, and in addition was 
very fast down the field. He improved every 
year, and is even yet recognized as the most won- 
derful guard that ever wore cleated shoes. 

John DeWitt of Princeton played as guard, but 
was often taken into the back field, and with his 
speed and agility would have made an ideal tackle 
for the modern game. He was more muscular and 
powerful even than Fish, and carried more weight. 
Furthermore, his breaking through, as instanced 
in one or two Yale games, was such as to equip 
him particularly for the place of tackle. In addi- 
tion to all this, he was a long-distance drop or 
place kicker as well as a powerful punter. His 
defensive work in stopping the more modern mass 
plays on tackle would be invaluable to any team. 

Shevlin of Yale was a combination of speed and 
weight that can be found only in a man who is of 
extraordinary muscular development. He was 
well over 180 pounds, and every bit of that was the 
soundest kind of muscle and at the same time 

350 



ALL-TIME ALL-AMEEICA TEAMS 

muscle entirely under control. He could get down 
the field as fast as any light-weiglit sprinter, and 
wlien he did thus cover a kick, it is easy to under- 
stand how, with his size and breadth, he would 
inevitably smother an attempted run back. One 
of his most remarkable feats was running back 
the kick-off. He started in instantly upon catch- 
ing the ball, and reached his high speed almost at 
once. He wasted no time in attempting to run 
around or back or look for openings. He realized 
that there was a point where he and the opponents 
must meet, and the faster he ran, the farther up 
the field that point would be. Upon occasions he 
was successful in games in running back the entire 
length of the field. But these two points were 
only a part of his value to a team. I doubt if 
there ever has been any tackle so big or powerful 
that Shevlin could not undertake the contract of 
boxing him, and carrying out the contract, too. 
His defensive work and his intuition as to how 
far he could creep in toward his tackle were aston- 
ishing. 

Eckersall of Chicago was one of those wonderful 
products that the West has turned out in the line 
of quarter-backs. Cool, experienced, a beautiful 
handler of the ball, he fed his backs with perfect 
precision, used his plays with judgment, was a 
sure catcher of punts, and a deadly tackier. In 

351 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

one of his most important games I remember see- 
ing him go up to meet Heston, the Michigan half- 
back, who had come through the line and was 
starting on a fair run for a touch-down. Heston 
was a man who used the straight arm exceptionally 
well, and Eckersall knew this. He recognized 
that if he endeavored to meet Heston squarely, 
and Heston should reach him with that arm, it 
would mean a touch-down. Acting instantly upon 
his judgment, he turned with Heston and ran 
parallel with him, Heston trying to reach him 
with his jabbing arm, while Eckersall worked in 
behind it until he could take Heston from behind. 
The instant he reached this position he tackled, 
and both came down, and the touch-down was 
saved. Apart from all his work of this character, 
Eckersall was a long-distance punter and the won- 
der of his time as a drop-kicker. It was dangerous 
to let him get anywhere .near the goal, for his ac- 
curacy was phenomenal. Finally, he was a first- 
class runner in a broken-up field, and would often 
run a punt back in spite of good ends, gaining half 
the distance of the kick. 

Heston of the University of Michigan was the 
star half-back that the West has produced. 
Heavy, thick-set, and fast, he could use either arm 
in warding oif tacklers, and he ran with great 
speed and power. Even when a man seized him 

352 



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ALL-TIME ALL -AMERICA TEAMS 

tliere was a fair chance that Heston, with his speed 
and weight, would tear loose, whereas when he 
had an opportunity to get his man in front of him, 
his deadly straight arm would bowl the tackier 
over. He was specially strong on plays just off 
tackle, but he could buck the line with immense 
vigor also. 

Weekes of Columbia was the best end-runner, 
for a man of his weight that the game has seen. 
He was stockily built, yet not short ; powerful and 
fast, and had that particular burst of speed at the 
right moment that enabled him to circle almost 
any end. "While Heston might have a shade the 
better of him on striking the line, it would be little, 
and Weekes equalized this with his greater dash at 
the moment of circling outside. 

Coy of Yale has the most remarkable combina- 
tion of qualities that have been gathered together 
in any player on the gridiron. Stripping close to 
193 pounds, a remarkably fast runner, and with 
high-knee action, it was almost impossible to stop 
him from in front when he had acquired full head- 
way. He had sufficient speed to make his runs from 
kick formation a very difficult proposition for op- 
ponents, whereas when he received the kick and 
ran it back there was no telling how far he would 
go. In Harvard and Princeton games in his 
sophomore and junior years it became dangerous 

355 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

for opponents to kick the ball, for Coy, if he had a 
fair start, would as likely as not run it back the 
whole length of the kick. As a punter he had 
tremendous power, and with this he combined 
great accuracy and distance in drop-kicks, so that 
in one Princeton game he tried a kick from mid- 
field, and with no favoring wind nearly reached 
the goal. This was with the ball in no too good a 
condition. As a tackier and defensive player 
among men of his weight and strength he was ex- 
ceptional, while his all-round knowledge of the 
game was such that he could play at end as readily 
as at full-back, and in the early part of his career 
was an excellent tackle on his freshman team. 

SUBSTITUTE ALL-AMEBICAS 

Since the above chapter was written on the All- 
America Team of All- America the writer has been 
importuned to add, as he does annually in making 
up the regular All- America team, two substitute 
Elevens. This is particularly difficult owing to the 
lapse of time and changes in the game which neces- 
sitate the comparison not only of the men as they 
played but of their ability to meet unusual exi- 
gencies, and in fact their general quality of foot- 
ball brains in conjunction with their physical 
ability. 

Beginning, then, with ends, Campbell of Har- 
356 



ALL-TIME ALL -AMERICA TEAMS 

vard and Grlaze of Dartmouth would be the next 
choice to Hinkey and Shevlin. Nor would these 
two latter fall short in comparison with the 
original selection. Campbell was a wonderfully 
pertinacious player, with speed and judgment and 
almost unlimited endurance. Glaze of Dartmouth 
was perhaps faster than any of the other three, 
but lacked a little of Hinkey 's wonderful ability 
to sift through any interference and diagnose any 
style of attack, while Campbell would fall short, 
naturally, of Shevlin 's tremendous physical power. 
After these two, the selection is then more dif- 
ficult, but probably the best combination would be 
Dague of Annapolis for speed and activity and 
Cochran of Princeton for general all-around 
ability and power. 

Coming to the tackle position, that well remem- 
bered figure, Newell of Harvard, would receive 
first choice, with Horr of Syracuse next. Newell 
was one of the most active ground-covering 
tacklers that has ever played the position, and 
while he would not be able to do the kind of stop- 
ping that Horr of Syracuse did in the modern 
heavy plays against the tackle position his activity 
would in a measure make up for this, and if he 
were given a powerful end would ' ' make good ' ' in 
the position. Horr is a physical giant and wonder- 
fully fast for a man of his weight. Furthermore, 

357 



THE BOOK OF FOOT -BALL 

he is available as a kicker and forward passer, and 
may be deceptively sent behind the line for this 
purpose. The other pair would be Bunker and 
Draper, Bunker of West Point and Draper of 
Pennsylvania. Bunker was one of the best built 
men that has ever played the position to combine 
power and speed, weighing close to 200 pounds. 
It was not until his tremendous drive was felt that 
his opponent realized what he was facing. Draper 
was experienced and at his prime was a first- 
class breaker of interference, a good tackier and 
excellent in assistance. 

The guard positions would fall very naturally 
to Glass of Yale and Tobin of Dartmouth. The 
former has always been a close rival in the regard 
of many foot-ball enthusiasts with men like Hef- 
felfinger and Hare. Big, active and original in 
his methods he invariably accomplished almost 
any end he was sent out after, and he could be 
relied upon for his steadiness. Tobin, although 
not as large, was not unlike him and had in addi- 
tion qualities of leadership which made him of 
great value to the line. The third team would 
have Brown of Yale, that noted and wonderful 
captain, one of Yale's best, who produced such ex- 
cellent results with his team, and Erwin of West 
Point, one of the most active and aggressive 



358 



ALL-TIME ALL -AMERICA TEAMS 

guards that ever bothered the back field of an 
opposing team. Hardly any efforts put forth by 
line-men seemed able to stop Erwin when he deter- 
mined to come through and that activity was a 
great asset. 

Hooper of Dartmouth would have the position 
of center on the second team. He was one of the 
stars of the position and went far towards de- 
veloping it along modem lines. Next the position 
on the third team would go to Lewis of Amherst 
and of Harvard, a player of the olden day, but 
one who would be of importance to any team to- 
day. Powerful and untiring, and with a good 
head, he always fed his quarter-back well, and was 
wonderfully active on the defense. 

The position of quarter would come to Daly of 
Harvard and West Point. Daly was a wonderful 
player and has never been surpassed except by the 
wonderful all-around work of Eckersall, and if 
Daly were available to-day, with the privilege of 
running by the quarter-back crossing the line of 
scrimmage anywhere, he would be doubly danger- 
ous to his opponents. The place on the third team 
would go to Johnson of the Carlisle Indians. 
Probably more expert in the distinctive duties of 
the quarter than either of the other two men 
selected owing to his greater experience, but not 
quite the equal of the first in physique and all- 

361 



THE BOOK OF FOOT - BALL 

around development, yet, withal, he was an excel- 
lent general in the back field. 

Butterworth of Yale and Brooke of Pennsyl- 
vania would take the two full-back positions on 
the other teams, both of them admirable kickers, 
but their ability was by no means confined to that 
particular branch. 

For half-backs, Kelly of Princeton and Hubbard 
of Amherst would make a pair for the second team 
that would take a lot of stopping. Kelly alone, and 
unaided, with his dash and fire would take heroic 
gains against a victorious team, as he did on one 
occasion in New Haven against Yale, while Hub- 
bard of Amherst was a wonderfully clever runner 
in all kinds of formation as well as in the open. 
The third team would have on it Mayhew of Brown 
and Ames of Princeton. Few players of the pres- 
ent day remember the latter, although they are all 
familiar with the former. Ames had all of May- 
hew 's slipperiness and in addition was a wonder- 
ful kicker, and possessed the ability of kicking a 
long punt while on a dead run, a feat that was very 
effective to his team. Mayhew is remembered al- 
most too well to need any description, and it is 
sufficient to say that this running back for Brown 
University was in any game and against any team 
a serious menace whenever he secured the ball. 



362 



ALL-TIME ALL-AMEEICA TEAMS 

ALL -AMERICA TEAM 





First Eleven 


Second Eleven 


Third Eleven 


End .... 


HiNKEY, Yale 


Campbell, Har- 


Dague, Annapo- 






vard 


lis 


Tackle . . 


DeWitt, Prince- 


Newell, Harvard 


BtjNker, West 




ton 




Point 


Guard . . 


Hare, Pennsyl- 
vania 


Glass, Yale 


Brown, Yale 


Center . . 


ScHULTZ, Michi- 


Hooper, Dart- 


Lewis, Harvard 




gan 


mouth 




Guard . . 


Hbffelfinger, 


ToBiN, Dartmouth 


Erwin, Pennsyl- 




Yale 




vania 


Tackle . . 


Fish, Harvard 


HoRR, Syracuse 


Draper, Pennsyl- 
vania 


End .... 


ShevijIN, Yale 


Glaze, Dart- 


Cochran, Prince- 






mouth 


ton 


Quarter . 


EcKERSALL, Chi- 


Daly, Harvard 


Johnson, Car- 




cago 




lisle 


Half-back 


Heston, Michi- 
gan 


Kelly, Princeton 


Mayhew, Brown 


Half-back 


Weekes, Colum- 


Hubbard, Am- 


Ames, Princeton 




bia 


herst 




Full-back 


Coy, Yale 


Butterworth, 


Brooke, Penn- 






Yale 


sylvania 



363 



NOV BS B\i^ 



} copy del. to Cat. Div. 



